Silver Linings
by Agent Henry
Summary: One drunken night, meant to cheer up a friend, turns into a commitment neither Albus Potter or Alexa Nott think they're ready for: Parenthood. Do you believe every cloud has a silver lining?
1. Alexa: When We Have a Few Too Many

Graduation.

The word won't leave me alone, no matter how hard I try to come up with nicer words, ones that don't make me want to vomit, like 'party' and 'summer'. But no, 'graduation' wants to stay. And on the rare occasions that the word does disappear, it is quickly replaced by 'adulthood' and 'job', which is actually just as bad. Worse even.

They are words that remind me of my future, one that is starting to happen surprisingly quickly now that I've graduated. As in no more Hogwarts, as in no longer leaving home for a school year. As in leaving home permanently and looking after myself!

Crap!

I start to hyperventilate just thinking about no longer living with my dad. I need my dad. I wonder if he'll let me stay with him forever; he loves me enough, I know he does. I'm Daddy's Angel. He couldn't wait for my idiot brother to leave, but me? No. I know I can stay...

Okay, maybe Dad wanting Kieron out of the house is a bit of an exaggeration. He tells us frequently that he, and I quote directly, loves us both equally. But we both questioned Big Brother's 'activities' in his bedroom, especially with his 'friend'.

Note to self: Say hi to Nicky Weasley.

...I do actually like Kieron's friend. (Boyfriend.)

I can't believe Kieron now actually lives with Nicky, mostly because I can't believe Nicky can put up with him (it's how you know it's love), but also because he did it. He left home after graduation and made a new life, with a job and an apartment and a partner. He didn't freak out or get scared as we usually tend to do with the thought of commitment. I must ask him how he did that.

Because I have no freaking idea what to do now!

I sigh in my seat and rest my chin on my right arm, with my left raised to twirl my finger in my empty bottle. It's my year's graduation party, which I think is kinda pointless considering the graduation was at Hogwarts yesterday, but this party was organized by parents. They hired a venue here in London, with a DJ, bought the food and the drink - they actually trust us enough to keep the supply of alcohol - so it's an open bar.

I think it was primarily my dad and Mr. Potter. They kinda work together at the Ministry, so they talk a lot (my dad is the lead Hit Wizard, while Mr. Potter is Head Auror). They're good friends. I haven't really spoken to Mr. Potter since I was eleven and stopped going with Dad to work because I had Hogwarts in the year and friends to visit and who visisted in the summer, though I still saw him at King's Cross and was polite enough to wave.

He's not bad, I have no idea what Uncle Draco keeps talking about. His son's a pain in the arse, though...

"All alone, Nott? Not like you."

...Speak of the devil.

I look up, my hand moving from the glass to cup my chin. I smirk softly, it's the only 'mean' response he's going to get out of me, given I'm too lazy and, admittedly, still very much in shock over the fact that I'm now officially an adult to give my usual look. "What do you want, Potter?"

I'm all bark and no bite tonight. Pity, I miss the old me. I mean the usual me; I'm not gone for good.

Albus Potter flattens down his hair, which looks like a rainbow of colors due to the lights, and sits beside me. He brings his bottle to his lips and takes a good long drink before he turns to me. "So, what were you thinking about?"

I raise an eye-brow; what makes him think I'm thinking? "You're thinking about something if you'd rather sit alone and stare into space than sit with the Bubblehead Clan who call you a 'friend' while you think of ways to hurt them and they you."

I hate it when he's right. But he's only right because he knows me. We're not exactly best friends, but thanks to Kieron and Nicky dating and Al being as close to his cousin as I am to my brother (which is very, believe it or not), we do hang out a _lot, _like most of the time. We went to breakfast, sat with our 'friends', went to class, hid in the library and bitched about everyone in school, including said friends. Albus is actually very good at bitching. If it were ever to become a sport, I'm afraid to say he might just beat me. Might, never forget the might... Maybe we are best friends?

But our friendship works both ways and I know him just as well. Why, when not even half an hour ago I saw him laughing and joking with the friends he actually liked, was he suddenly over here, hiding with me and clinging to that bottle of beer like it's his lifeline? I take note of his frown and the narrowing of his eyes and the answer comes pretty quickly; he's sulking. I re-raise said eye-brow. "What happened?"

He scoffs and takes another long drink, but I just wait patiently. Or as patiently as I can be, considering I generally don't have a whole lot of it and I willingly admit that. I know he'll tell me, he always does. "I saw Phil Glover making out with Catrine."

I want to laugh and tell him that it never would have happened if he had only asked her out when he had the chance, but I fear our usual joke won't have the same effect as normal and keep my mouth shut. Instead I scan the room for any sign of the couple, I don't want them near to see him sulk, then stand up; the empty bar is my destination and alcohol is our answer. My Grandfather Greengrass tells me alcohol is helpful when the occasion calls for it and, for once, I hope he's right, because after seeing the look on Albus' face, the occasion definitely calls for more alcohol.

"Where are you going?" he asks, grabbing my arm.

I jerk my head to our left. "To the bar, we need drinks." He lets go of my arm, understanding completely, and nods. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

With people either around the tables or on the dancefloor and the bar relatively empty, it really does only take a few minutes for me to get our drinks and come back. I order four of whatever drink Albus had brought with him, two each so we don't have to go back as quickly, and sit down at his side. I pass him his two and we each hold up a bottle, banging them together in salute before we drink.

I sincerely hope I don't regret this...

...Turns out they're not so bad and we order more and more, soon followed by another drink he called shots. We compete with those drinks, seeing who can drink the fastest. At first it's Albus who keeps winning, but the more I drink the more comfortable I become and I'm soon drinking him under the table, an expression I hear my brother say to Nicky all the time.

"Hey, do you think Kieron and Nicky will let me plan their wedding?" I say suddenly, thinking of Nicky reminding me.

He bursts out laughing. "I didn't even know your brother had finally plucked up the courage to ask Dom to marry him," is his answer.

I frown. I hate it when his family calls Dominique 'Dom'. He is quite obviously a 'Nicky', though his professional work name is 'Nick'. But his family have been calling him that since he was born and he's too used to it to get them to stop, not even for me. He tells me it'd be weird if anyone other than Kieron and I called him 'Nicky' and I like that I have something no one else does (my brother does not count), so I don't say anything about it. "Well, not yet, but you just know it's inevitable."

"Maybe. In that case, no, they won't let you; Dom's a control freak, he'd wanna do it himself. But he likes you, so he might let you help," Albus says. I can accept that; one of the things I like about him is our similar tastes.

Potential weddings soon leave my mind when we continue our game.

***

"I just can't believe she'd rather be with Phil Glover than me. How is that possible?"

I find it hard to concentrate and just shake my head; I've lost count of how much we've drank, but it's leaving me rather calm and funny at the same time. I've never been drunk before, but I get the feeling this is drunk me. Albus, however, has been drunk before and I've seen him. He's gets overly emotional. "She doesn't know what's she's missing."

"She doesn't. And now she'll never know."

"Good for you, find someone else."

"I will."

"Just don't cry on me again."

"I won't c- Hey!" A few minutes of weird silence and we erupt into a fit giggles. "Lets talk about you instead, then. Why were you hiding here?"

"I don't want to grow up," I tell him softly. That wasn't meant to sound so weak and... _sad._ Maybe alcohol leaves me feeling overly emotional, too. Maybe everyone... I feel a little more sorry for Albus now.

"Everybody grows up, whether you like it or not, Alexa." He turns my head so I face him, looks straight at me with his green eyes. "We are close?"

I shrug. "Close enough, I think. We hang out, talk, laugh. But the only reason we tell each other our deepest, darkest secrets is because we make each other," I laugh at that last part. He doesn't. Instead he leans forward and kisses me. I forget everything around me for a few seconds and just sit there, unmoving. I don't register until his hand slides down my cheek to hold onto my elbow. The movement sends shivers down my spine, which causes me to jump back and I stand. "I need some air."

"Alexa!" he shouts to me, but even though I feel like the ground is spinning in an effort to knock me down, I don't stop, not until I'm outside of the club and into the street. The cool air does nothing to clear my mind, but it cools my suddenly hot, alcohol fueled body. "Alexa, please."

Damn him. I should have known he'd follow me, but I can't handle this. When I said to find someone else, I didn't mean me. "Look, Al," I start, turning around.

He cuts me off, prevents me from saying anymore, by bringing his lips to my own again. This time he's more determined than before for me to want it, to kiss him back.

I don't know if it's the alcohol or if it's me or if I'm just crazy, but I do. I kiss him back and I don't care why.

I just want more.

* * *

**A/N:** My first Albus/OC. Exciting. This story is complete with 26 chapters. I'll post them all soon enough. :)

I hope you enjoy and like the idea of Male!Dom; I rarely see it and I love it, so I have to include him. :P

Sam.


	2. Albus: When Alcohol Solves Nothing

Oh, my God.

What was I thinking drinking so much? How could I possibly think that alcohol would solve my problem with Catrine? Because the noise from that goddamn alarm clock is doing a very good job of drilling into my head and killing whatever brain cells I have left, reminding me just how _stupid_ I was.

Oh, finally, it's stopped.

I drag my hands down my face, my eyes squeezed shut as I try to remember last night, and groan, maybe a little too loudly. How could I do this to myself? It hurts so much. And I cannot remember past competing with the shots.

I hate shots. They are the devil's drink.

Oh, wait. I remember moaning about Catrine with Lexi. I, er, think dammit, think. I remember her warning me not to cry, which I don't do. I remember asking if we were close and I remember -

I jump up, eyes wide. Oh no. How could I possibly think that kissing my best friend was a good idea? How could I follow her?

I search the room for anything familiar. It is familiar alright; this is Lexi's room. I pull the bed sheets closer to me and it takes me a little longer than it should to realize I'm naked. As in completely naked. "Everything's fine, nothing happened," I whisper to myself, over and over, just hoping that it'll eventually sink in and I can believe it. But I really can't believe those words or anything that wants me to believe that we didn't actually do what I really think we did.

_We did, didn't we? We couldn't have._

I force myself to look to the left of Lexi's king size bed, praying for me to be alone, that she brought me here out of pity because I was a drunken mess and let me sleep. I'd rather take her pity than have to face the fact that I may have potentially ruined our friendship. But there she is, her back to me, still fast asleep. The covers just hide her waist, but she's bare from there up and I audibly gulp. The night starts to come back; the kisses, the touches, the way she felt. Admittedly, if she had been anyone else, I'd be patting myself on the back; last night is starting to look amazing.

But it wasn't just anybody; it was Lexi. The girl who introduced herself by saying she was only talking to me because she liked Dom, who didn't care who my family were, who would test Uncle George's products with me and bitch about the Bubblehead Clan. My friend.

I should wake her, I know I should, I don't want to be one of those guys who sneaks out of a girl's room at the crack of dawn. I'm not Louis!

I raise my hand, hover over her back to shake her gently, when she moves onto her back. I avert my eyes quickly and I think my 'whoa' is a little too loud.

"What's going on?" she mutters sleepily. At least she's awake.

"Morning." I have no idea what else to say.

"Al?" I nod, still refusing to look at her, and even though I can't see her reaction, I think she gets it and I have a good enough imagination to figure it out. She screams; I was not expecting that. The bedsheets move quickly and I drop my hands to make sure I'm still covered; I _was _expecting that. "Oh, my God. I remember."

I turn to see her running her fingers back through her dark hair. Flashbacks of me doing that very same thing last night hit me suddenly and I drop my eyes again. "I can't believe you kissed me!"

My immediate response is to apologize; I did kiss her and she left and I followed her and continued to kiss her. This most likely would not have happened if I hadn't followed her. But a thought comes to me and I stop myself, suddenly defensive. "Don't say this is all my fault! You kissed me back the second time and it's that time that allowed this," I gesture to us, to the bed, to the whole bloody room, "to happen."

"It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't followed me and kissed me, hell if you hadn't kissed me at all! What possessed you to do that?" I open my mouth to speak, but just let it hang because I have no idea how to answer that. Not that she'd really let me speak anyway. "But don't worry, I do put some blame on myself. I am clearly insane to think I could be a good friend and cheer you up, to have more drinks than I should, than I ever have, _for you_. Because, my God, it hurts!"

I just sit there, not knowing exactly what to say. Yes, I initiated it, but I thoroughly stand by the fact that it takes two and she's as much to blame as I am. But what shuts me up was not her long rant about why I was to blame or the fact that this is one of the rare times she has ever genuinely yelled at me. It's because she decided to get changed while she yelled and now she is standing up and glaring at me, while my eyes have unonsciously made their way to her night shorts and to her long, tanned legs.

More flashbacks. Damn. I turn away.

"We should just forget it ever happened," I hear Lexi's voice, but she sounds further away than I know she is. Oh, last night...

"Yeah, we can do that." I nod determinedly. We can so do that; we can forget it happened, go back to just being friends and pretend we don't know what sex together is like. What _we're_ like... Yes, we can.

"You're imagining it!" she shouts.

I hate it when she does that; she just knows what I'm thinking. "No, I'm not," I deny anyway.

"Oh, don't you lie to me!" Alexa scoffs. I turn back to her. She's got her hands pressed against her hips, her hair flowing over her shoulders, and her eyes wide. She's not glaring at me anymore, that's a small consolation. I watch her until I finally understand what's she's thinking. Why she's so mad that it happened and her determination to forget it. It's exactly what I was thinking before.

"We're gonna be fine, Lex, this won't ruin things between us," I assure myself as well as her. "We're just gonna forget about it. It was one night, we can ignore it. Go back to normal."

"Yeah?" she asks quietly. I nod and she relaxes slightly. She believes me and if _she_ can believe me, so can I.

We both turn to the sound of a door opening and closing. "Lexi, did you get home alright?"

Oh, shit. Her dad!

Her fear returns, this time for a totally different reason. She leans forward and grabs my shoulder, tries to push me off the bed. "You have to go now," she whispers fiercely.

I move to get up, then realize I'm still naked. Right now, I don't know which would be worse; Theo Nott catching me in his daughter's room or Alexa seeing me naked again. I think my answer is enough to determine which I think I'd rather endure. I pull the sheets tighter. "You know, I'd rather not."

Alexa narrows her eyes, tries not to yell, and runs around the room. She throws me my clothes and the look she gives me tells me I have no choice but to get dressed and go before she makes me. I don't doubt that, she's done it before. I grab my pants and swing my legs off the bed, pulling them on along with my socks and shoes before I stand up.

"Alexa!"

Lexi goes to the door, pressing herself against it so he can't get in. "I got home fine."

"I heard quite a bit of noise last night," he says. We share a look, one question; do you think he heard something? But his tone sounds more curious than demanding, like he just wants an explanation for noise rather than one for having sex with her best friend. I pull on my t-shirt and shake my head, my gut telling me we're fine.

"It was probably when I apparated in, you know I hate it because I can never get it right. Thank you for putting down the wards so I could come straight to my room, by the way. I _really_ appreciated that."

Alexa rolls her eyes at me while saying that, then mouths at me to hurry up. I bet she's thinking that being able to stop for a second, even due to protections spells, would have given her enough time to come to her senses and stop us from having sex. Because I'm thinking the same thing. I find my jacket, wave it at her in an 'are you happy?' motion and mouth something I've been wondering since she told me to go; what exactly am I supposed to do?

She shrugs, then points to the door. I'm about to say I can't go through the door with her dad there when it dawns on me she might be gesturing _to_ her dad. She's waiting for him to leave.

"Alexa, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Well, can I talk to you face-to-face instead of through a door?"

Fuck. I was not expecting that. And neither was she. She points to her bathroom, but I don't get there in time. I jump behind her door as it opens and she plasters on a huge, fake smile. I roll my eyes; is it to act as though nothing's going on or to hide a hangover? Probably both.

"Morning, Daddy."

"Morning. You're okay?"

"Uh-huh, completely fine."

"Last time I heard that, your brother was hiding Dom in his bathroom."

We both hold back nausea, not believing he actually said that. He's so damn near right, it's scary. Alexa recovers quicker than I do. "I can't believe you just compared me to Kieron, Dad." She opens up the door wider, pushing me further against the wall. Ouch. "Do you want to check the room, Dad? Because you can check the room."

I hold my breath. I'm gonna get caught. He's gonna kill me. "No, I believe you." Oh, thank God. He changes the subject. "I'm going to make breakfast, would you like some?"

"I would love some, I'll be down in a minute." She shuts the door. I rub my arm. "Okay, Albus, I am going to have breakfast with my dad. I'm going to keep him talking and busy in the kitchen. You are going to sneak out the door and we're going to forget about what happened and go back to being friends. We're never going to talk about it, it never even happened. Yes?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Alexa heads for the door again. "I'll see you tomorrow. Maybe."

She leaves me alone in her room and more memories of last night come back. Ah, if only it hadn't been Lexi. I give it a couple of minutes, then sneak out, down the stairs and to the door. I pause when I hear their voices, but no one comes. I don't think I breath again until I'm out the door and running down the manor's estate. As soon as I'm able, I apparate to my family home, straight to my bedroom because my dad had done the same as Theo.

Only there does the most important memory of all come back to me.

No protection!


	3. Alexa: When Trusting Instincts is Good

I am going to kill Albus Potter.

I tried _so_ hard to forget what happened between us, but he just had to go on about that night and the lack of protection. My day was going perfectly fine until he came banging on my front door, practically yelling about that tiny little detail.

Thank God my dad was not home to hear it. Or my brother; that would have been horrifying to witness. I imagined a bloody Albus-shaped mess on the hall floor. Then a Kieron-shaped one for killing him before I could.

Because it's been just over a month since it happened and now I'm freaking out. Why? Because I'm late. I am rarely late. And he is sat on my bed, looking ready to shit himself because it's all he's thought about since that night.

I can't help but glare at him as I lean against the door to my bathroom, but he doesn't take any notice. He just continues to sit there, muttering to himself, trying to make himself feel better when his gut tells him otherwise. That's one of the only things that really annoys me about Albus; when he's worrying about something, he over thinks things, to the point where he genuinely believes it and then he tells himself it's going to be okay, even though he's already freaked himself into believing it's not.

That's what he did in regards to this. The moment he realized we had been too drunk to think about protection, he started to worry about the consequences and what to do and he freaked out and yelled at me and now his words are getting to me because I'm late. Have I mentioned that I hate him yet? Because I do.

He throws himself back against my pillows. "Everything's going to be fine, we're okay. We're fine."

"Albus, shut up," I snap. I just cannot take it any more. "I blame you for all of this, by the way. For the sex and for all this worrying, which is really not needed. I also blame my dad for letting you in today and forcing me to listen to you worry, then tell yourself it's fine. Why do you come to my house anyway?"

That's a stupid question.

"It's big, it's nice and your brother doesn't live here anymore so we're always alone now," he mutters. Oh. Not what I expected him to say because it's not the real reason. Well, I can only accept that his sister is way too nosy. "We're gonna be fine."

"Potter!"

He jumps up, holds himself up with his elbows. "You're angry."

I nod. "I'm feeling a lot of things at the moment, Albus. Anger is just one of them."

"You're very emotional." He looks terrified. I have a bad feeling. "That's a symptom," he whispers. He ducks before one of my books gets to hit him on the head. Damn him. "Well, it is," he protests, like he's defending himself. I don't want to hear his defense! How does he not get that? "So is feeling tired and nausea and sensitivity in... certain areas."

When he eyes stop at my chest I pick up another book. He has every reason to hide. "Albus, the only thing making me tired and nauseous is you." He slowly removes his arms from his face. I drop the book and try to give him my best 'it's gonna be okay' smile to calm him down. "Now, will you please stop researching all of this. You're just going to scare yourself even more."

"Most is just what I remember from when Vic was pregnant and Mum still has one or two baby books," Al says quietly. I give him my most stern look; he's got to get the message. "I will stop researching." I almost breath a sigh of relief; finally his madness will stop. "If you do something for me."

Oh, crap. "Depends on what it is," I finally choke out. He just doesn't make it easy for me, does he?

Albus picks up the white, plastic bag he had brought with him and hid under my bed and makes his way over to me. He stops about an inch in front of me, forcing me to look up just to see eye-to-eye, but with heels on it's not by much. He opens it up and pulls out a blue box. It doesn't take me very long to realize to what it is.

"No!"

"Lexi, please. It's just one test, then we can forget it ever happened and go back to normal as promised," Al pleads with me. I continue to shake my head. How can he do this?

"Where did you even get that?"

"A Muggle pharmacy, it was the quickest option," he shrugs. "I told the woman it was for a friend, which is true."

"Did you tell the woman that you are the reason you think your soon-to-be-_ex_ friend needs the test?" I growl.

"No, I'm not that stupid while sober," he says, rolling his eyes. Oh, he really is. "Please, Lexi. We need to be sure before we can move on. Just take the test, watch it turn negative and we can go back to normal. One test, for me, or I'm going to go crazy."

We stare each other down for what feels like forever, but when I finally look away and see the clock I realize it had barely been five minutes. Glaring, I snatch the box out of his hands and twirl it between my fingers as I try to figure out exactly why I'm doing this. Okay, so he's still my friend - for now - and I don't want this to drive him crazy - yet. We can't bitch about people if he's lost it. And taking this stupid, Muggle pregnancy test will calm him down and show him that everything's fine, that I'm not- that he should stop listening to his gut for everything.

I'm doing it for Albus... And I'm doing it for me. I have to do it, I have to calm me down, too. "Wait here," I mutter, walking away and locking myself in my bathroom.

Once inside, I lean against the door and shut my eyes. I hear him tell himself it's gonna be fine again and the door rattles when he throws himself against it to lean on the other side. I move away and rip open the box, read through the instructions and swing it back and forth in my hands until I have to go. I turn on the tap, I think about rain and water, anything that will get this over and done with.

As soon as I'm done, I bang on the door and open it. Albus follows me into the bathroom and we both sit against the bath tub, the test by our sides, and he's reading through the instructions.

I think about why I'm sat here, on the cold floor tiles of my bathroom, waiting for a pregnancy test to tell me whether or not my idiot friend knocked me up. It never would have happened if I hadn't brought him here or kissed him back, if he hadn't followed me or even kissed me in the first place. If we hadn't gotten drunk because he'd seen an evil bitch snog an arrogant prat. If Albus had had the good sense to know he was better than her.

But he didn't and we did all those things because of it and now here we are. Though, for _this_ situation, I mostly blame his panic attack when he realized what we'd forgotten and his cousin, Louis, for being who _he_ is. He made tests mandatory in the Weasley family, I swear.

"You think it's been two minutes?" he asks quietly.

"Maybe," I shrug. "You should check. You're the one who wanted me to take the stupid thing."

"Or you could. Considering you had to pee on it, I'd rather not."

I turn to glare at him, but it's only for a second. He's trying to stay calm and okay, wanting to believe his words that it's all fine completely. But his eyes give him away; he's anxious, scared and stalling. He wanted me to take the test, but he's not so sure he wants to know the answer.

"Together," I promise. I grab some tissue, since he was so _kind_ as to remind me of what I had to do, pass the rest to him, put my hand on the edge of the test and Al copies, so we've both got hold it. "One."

"Two," he goes next.

"Three," we say together, pulling it up.

I let go of it quickly; I'd memorized the instructions long enough while I was waiting to pee to know exactly what that stick means, what it's screaming at me. Albus stares at it, but I don't think he's really looking. He perfected the art of scaring himself shitless over the month and now I'm going to join him.

"Every cloud has a silver lining, right?" Albus finally speaks, but he barely gets it out.

"What's the silver lining in this?"

The pregnancy test falls from his hands to the floor and he leans back against the bath tub; I don't think I want to know his answer.

"Maybe we'll be good parents."

I don't say a thing.

I silently admit, listening to his gut is a good thing.

Oh, yeah, and I am so going to kill Albus Potter.

***

"I'm going to be a dad... I can't be a dad, I'm way too young... Oh, my God, I'm going to be a teenage dad!"

He's been pacing my bedroom and saying similar statements for the better part of an hour. It's my turn to lie on my bed, only rather than join him in calling out the inevitable I've gone unnaturally quiet. This is so hard to process; this morning I was complaining about how he should stop listening to his instincts (in my defense, he has been wrong a fair few times), now I'm thankful he pushed me for that test. I don't even want to imagine a family member figuring it out before me. And to think, this all started because Al freaked out over our lack of protection. He even researched symptoms for four weeks, which I guess is where I am. I wonder what else he researched...

No! I don't want to know that right now.

"Are you okay?"

I turn to lie on my back and there he is by my side, concern showing on his face. "I get drunk for the first time, in an effort to cheer you up, and this is my price. How do you think I feel?"

That concern turns to pain for just a second, before it disappears and he feigns indifference and looks away. "I'm sorry."

I didn't mean to hurt his feelings. I move to get up and he slides over so I can sit next to him. He knows I'm genuine when I hug him, because I rarely do, so I pull Al to me and we stay like that for as long as I'm comfortable doing so. "It's not all your fault, I guess." I'll blame him again tomorrow. He laughs, but it's not exactly a happy one. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little... scared. But I'm now glad you freaked out last month, told me all this stuff and got the test, if it's any consolation."

"Sometimes my worrying does come in handy," he agrees.

I start to speak, but I hear the front door open and I swear I go paler than I did when I found out I was pregnant; my dad is home. How the hell am I supposed to tell him? It's obvious Al is having similar thoughts, probably about his own family... He has a big family. The closer his footsteps get to my room, the faster my heart seems to beat in my chest. Then he knocks.

"Yeah?" I call out, hoping it wasn't as shaky as it sounded to me.

Dad opens the door, leans against the frame so it seems only the top half of his body is in my room. "Hey. I bumped into your dad at work, Al, he wants to know if you're going home or if you'll be here tonight. I questioned why he still asks when you stay here every Friday, but said I'll pass along the message."

"Right, because Dad cooks on a Friday," he whispers. I think he's still in shock, made worse by remembering we have to tell people and that one of those people is currently speaking to us. "I don't eat that anymore."

"No," Dad says quietly, then he turns to me. "Is he okay?"

"He's not really feeling very well," I only half-lie; he does look like he's going to be sick. "But of course he's staying, it's Friday."

"Right." Dad stands up straight, ready to leave, and points to us both. "You know where the menus are."

As soon as he shuts the door, we both turn to face each other. "I don't think I'll be able to get through the night without him figuring out something is wrong if I stay."

"You have to stay, you always stay," I remind him. "If you don't, he'll definitely know something is up."

"We can't pretend it's a family emergency?"

I want to swipe the back of his head. "He's going to floo call your house to tell them you're staying as usual, he'd be just as likely to call to say you'd be home and he'd probably ask if they were okay with the emergency. Wouldn't take a genius to know you were lying."

"Right. That was stupid. It'll be fine."

"It _will _be fine." I take his hand and stand him up. "We are going to get the menus, argue about what we want, order take out, give our weekly thanks to Dad for finding a way to piss off my mum by getting a TV and watch a movie and as soon as he's gone to bed, we're gonna talk about what to do."

He nods and agrees thoughout my entire plan until the very end and I resist the urge to shake him. "About what?"

"About how to tell everyone," I answer through gritted teeth. "I don't know about you, but I think others will notice when I get bigger and pop out your kid."

He covers his face in his hands, lets out an annoyed, slightly high-pitched shriek, and nods. "Right, yes, we'll talk about that. I'm sorry, I'm not handling this very well." I move his hands away. "I just don't know what to do."

"I'd be kinda surprised if you did." I raise an eye-brow, put on my best imitation of Nicky. "Anything you wish to share, Mr. Potter?"

It's small, quiet, barely even there, but it's a real laugh and that's the reaction I wanted. I nudge his arm lightly. "Come on, I want Chinese."

"I want curry."

"Tough, you knocked me up; we're having Chinese."

I run when he starts to chase me down the stairs, careful not to fall. "That's not fair, Lexi, I have nothing to use against you."

"Give it up, Albus, you'll never get one up on Lexi," Dad calls from the living room.

Oh, Dad, if only you knew the whole story.

* * *

**A/N: **Al is fun to write when he's freaking out. Louis is such a bad influence... And you haven't even met him yet.

So, it's been about a month and Al spent the whole of it worrying to Alexa, researching signs in hopes of avoiding it. But it's a pregnancy story, so... Ha! I hope y'all enjoyed. I appreciate any reviews of what you think. :)

Sam.


	4. Alexa: When We Talk About the Future

Dinner is actually pretty normal, all things considered. We argued about what we wanted to eat until Dad took away the menus and just ordered pizza. I love that our home was built in what is now a Muggle area and his year away during the war taught him the beauty and value of a television, a phone and a microwave, even if they're the only Muggle appliances he'll ever know how to use properly. Or at all. Because once I move out, they'll be beauties and values I'll be glad I grew up with, especially now that it seems I'll be cooking for two.

Thank you for this, Daddy.

See, I still call him Daddy. I'm screwed.

I eat my pizza slowly, planning what to say to my dad when the time comes to tell him. Maybe Al can help me with that later, not that I put my faith in the guy's words in any situation, but still, it wouldn't hurt.

"So, Harry says you've been apartment hunting, Al. How's that going?"

Dad's question brings me back to reality. I completely forgot Albus had been looking for his own place when he wasn't researching the early signs of pregnancy. At least the kid will have its own room when it goes to see its dad.

Oh, God. I'm a single mum! This kid is gonna have to go back and forth between parents. This kid is gonna be me and Kieron (some weekends, anyway)... Except it'll like its mum. Hopefully. I stuff more pizza in my mouth; it's a lovely distraction from reality.

I think both my dad and Albus notice my sudden distress, but neither mention it and Al answers his question. "Not bad, I found a couple of places that I like. I'm going to look at them next week."

I'm surprised by how calm and normal Al is sounding, considering how he was before, especially at the thought of staying. But here he is and he's not freaking out. Why is it that only I get to see the crazy? Or is he secretly a really great actor and he will be crazy-like with everyone once they all know?

"That's good. You taking Lexi with you? She won't ever visit if she hates it. I'd ask her myself, but she seems to be in her own little world."

"I'm here," I say, slapping Dad's hand away when he waves it in front of my face. They both laugh at me. Well, they've always gotten along. I wonder how long it'll last once Dad knows; he's very protective of his family. Well, me, Kieron, our cousin Scorpius, and Aunt Astoria. He and Uncle Draco never really got along in school, but they're okay now. He and Mum... Let's not go there. Ever.

"I'm just thinking about my own living arrangements, the future and stuff," I tell them, which is kind of true. I had been thinking about what I was going to do after graduation. I haven't put much thought into it since I found out about this, though. I don't want to. But I'm going to have to.

"This explains why you look like you're about to cry. Please don't cry." I'm not gonna cry. Dad hates it when I cry; more because I rarely cry than that he doesn't know what to do. He's awesome at making me feel better, knows _exactly_ what to do. But because it almost doesn't happen, he hates that there is something out there that causes his little girl to cry. His words, not mine.

"Can't I just live with you forever, Daddy?"

...Damn, I did it again.

"No, Daddy has plans for when you leave," he smirks at me and then at Al. I throw my crust at him; I don't need to know any of this. At all.

After dinner, it's pretty quiet. I don't know which movie we end up watching; Al picks it and I'm hardly paying any attention. I'm literally counting down the minutes until Dad says he's going upstairs and I can talk to Albus about our situation. But at the same time I don't want him to leave; I want him to stay with me so I _don't_ have to talk. Every time Dad leaves the room, I hold my breath just waiting to know what's gonna happen.

It's almost midnight when he finally gets up off the floor and kisses my forehead. "Good night, guys. And actually get some sleep this time, yeah!" he calls on his way up the stairs.

The moment I no longer hear him, I point my wand at the door and close it, casting a Silencing charm for good measure, and when I turn back to face Al, the TV is off and he's waiting for me. "You handled yourself very well," I praise. I think Al needs the reassurance first.

"I pretended it wasn't real. Easier said than done, though," he admits softly. "I sat there, talking and laughing with your dad and I kept thinking he's going to kill me when you tell him."

"When _I_ tell him?" I ask, both curious and a little pissed. But I don't show it. If I don't like his explanation,_ then_ I'll show it.

"Yeah, I was thinking if you told your family and I told mine, we'd get it done faster and can focus on actually knowing what to do with the baby rather than what they're gonna say about it. And if we each tell our families at the same time, we don't have to worry about how one will take it to the other. What do you think?"

He's looking at me like _this_ is the thing to be nervous about; he's probably really focused on the hormone part of the pregnancy. What did he say? That you can be more emotional? I bet he hates that part. But this is one of a small number of occasions where he's said something we can actually take on board since this started. I give my approval; I think it scares him a little more.

"That makes sense. I'll tell my family, you'll tell yours and we'll deal with the rest afterwards. Telling them can be the only thing we think about right now. One step at a time, you know?"

It takes him a minute to answer. He's still in shook because I agreed with him. I just sit there and wait; I'm used to it. Agreeing with him is not actually that rare of a thing for me to do, I just don't usually say it so nicely. I'm not mean, just more sarcastic in my response. It's one of our things. But how can he think we could be our usual selves today?

We have bigger things to think about.

"Yeah." He clears his throat. "Well, my family try to have dinner every Sunday, but it's more likely one Sunday a month. You know because I keep inviting you."

"Yeah, and I keep declining. What's your point?"

Albus rolls his eyes. Maybe I can blame pregnancy already or him for not being clear, but I don't get it. "This Sunday is the first in a few months where the whole family can actually be there for dinner, including Molly and Louis, so I can tell them then."

Oh. Why couldn't he have just said that? "I'll get my family here on Sunday and tell them then, too." I mess with the empty pizza box, prepared to just end the conversation and say Dad was right, we should go to sleep, when a thought comes to me. A very important thought. A thought Albus might just appreciate. "It's a good thing we've decided to talk to our own families separately and not together; Kieron would have killed you. He's less likely to do that now that you won't be here when he knows."

He looks pained, like the information could kill him at any moment. He pulls his legs up, tucking them to his chest, and wraps his arms around them. I remember when we were twelve and he stayed here for the first time; Kieron telling him that scary story about the woman in the attic had not been a good idea. He was terrified, didn't sleep all night and didn't come back for weeks. It's just like this. I might not see him for a while.

No. I will not let that happen.

"What are the odds of me just avoiding Kieron for the next eighteen years and eight months?" Al asks hesitantly. I want to laugh. Just the thought of Al trying to hide from my brother has me hiding a giggle. Keiron will find him and Albus will be lucky if he doesn't get torn apart. My brother can do that; he's a lawyer.

But I won't; he's obviously scared. Rightly so, everyone is; my brother has a temper. I haven't quite figured out how Nicky got past that or how he knows to calm him down. Before it was just my dad who could do that.

I turn my thoughts from Kieron's issues to my friend in front of me. "It'll be okay. I'll have my dad's help by the time Kieron gets to you and Nicky will not say no to me; you'll be fine."

I reassure him enough to drop his arms and cross his legs instead. He's no longer guarded Albus, he's slightly calm Albus; all is good.

Until Sunday.

xxx

Albus stayed for breakfast on Saturday, but left soon after, leaving me alone with my thoughts. What kind of friend leaves another alone during a time like this? A crappy one, that's who!

Okay, so maybe he has his own thoughts to deal with. And maybe he would have stayed if his mother hadn't called, asking him to accompany her shopping. And maybe he did try to get out of it, except his mum guilt-tripped him by reminding him of last summer (something she doesn't _even know_ the full story of and which I'm not allowed to ever talk about). But still, he left me alone. And when I'm alone he's not the only one who knows how to worry.

I only had to go through that torture for about an hour, though. Kieron came home and went through new apartments he'd found for me that I might like, like he promised. Then I went out with friends for dinner, then my mum came over and that managed to distract me for a couple of hours.

It was at night, when I was really alone, that was the worst, but I managed to calm myself down and come up with something I could tell them. In my head, it sounded reasonable and quick, while explaining everything, and I was able to sleep at night. It was once I woke up that I began to doubt myself.

I told my dad about my plan for a family dinner, told him I had something to tell him. He didn't know whether to be suspicious or afraid, but agreed. I tried to sound casual, hoped he'd think I'd wanna talk about moving (Kieron just told him over breakfast, he knows I'd want it all planned out first), obviously it didn't work.

Or maybe it did and he's just cautious about his little girl living alone; that's something Dad would do.

So, I'm sitting on the couch in the living room, squirming and fidgeting, jumping at every little thing while I wait for my family to come. And, unfortunately, I mean my whole (immediate) family. Yep, Mum included. And I hate it. I think Dad hates it more, though. The thought of her in his house makes his skin crawl.

...A story for another day.

Aunt Astoria is the first here, Uncle Draco right behind her. She let's go of his hand to hug my dad, gives a very excited 'hey, Theo' like she hasn't seen him in ages, even though she saw him the other day. She makes her way over to me while Dad shakes Uncle Draco's hand and I stand up quickly to hug her.

Maybe it's an expression on my face, like I look as though I'm hiding something, maybe she just_ knows_, I don't know. But the look she gives me is not one I especially like. Astoria squeezes me gently just above my stomach, saying nothing, and Scor comes over.

"Cuz," he says, holding his hand out. We slap our hands together and he narrows his eyes just a little. "I was sleeping."

I shrug. "I don't care. Sit down."

His lips twitch slightly, but he doesn't smile and sits down next to me. Kieron suddenly pops up on Dad's right. I have no idea when he got here. He nods his head and shuts his eyes, leaning back against the couch. His thoughts are probably on the same page as Blondie's.

"Nicky at The Burrow?" I ask him.

He nods and grunts. I roll my eyes. "Why we here?"

"Your sister has something to talk about," Dad tells him.

He makes no move to get up or even look at me. "Get on with it then."

"Charming," I scoff.

"We're waiting for Daphne," Scorpius says.

That gets him to sit up. "I'm leaving."

"You have to stay, it's important." I try not to plead, but that's what it sounds like and I think Kieron notices that. Despite what he thinks of _her_, he loves me more; we were always there for each other, still will be, I know. He settles back into his seat, albeit a little stiffly, and nods.

As soon as Dad let's Mum inside, I consider that my cue to get up. I can feel the tension in the room between my family, the sudden drop in temperature the moment she walked in, their eyes focused on me in the middle of the room rather than anywhere else, and everything I had planned to say last night escapes me.

I've never been so nervous, I feel as though everything has sped up, especially my heart rate, and it just slips out. "I'm pregnant."

If the room didn't have my complete attention before, it does now. Dad jumps up, his back straight. "Come again?"

Now my brain decides to explain. Kind of. "He was really upset and it was the only way I could think of to distract him, so I got the drinks and it worked until the end and he started to think of her and he got depressed and he kissed me and I left and he followed and it just sort of happened. I had no idea it would happen, we never planned it I swear."

"Who the fuck is it?" Kieron demands.

I just continue to watch Dad. He's figuring it out, piecing it all together; he knows there's only one person in the world besides my family I would help. When he shuts his eyes and groans, I know he knows what was wrong that afternoon when he was at my door. "That's why he looked ready to be sick, you found out on Friday," he mutters.

"Yeah."

Kieron digs into Dad's arm with his elbow. "You saw him? You know him?"

"Al Potter."

One minute he's in front of me, the next he's gone; on his feet and down the hall. I hear him shout for the Burrow and I panic, eyes wide. Dammit! That I was not expecting!

"Kieron's going to kill him," Uncle Draco predicts.

"Dad, we have to stop him!"

"I will." I raise an eye-brow when he doesn't move, finding it hard to believe him. "I didn't say now."

"Make it now!" He still doesn't move. I turn to Scor and try to pull him up. "You have to help me. Kieron cannot kill Al, I need him to be alive to suffer."

"Why should I?"

I don't even have to think about my answer. I've got everything planned for rainy days such as this. "VPBC can't wait to see you. Imagine one day she finds her way to you."

His eyes widen. "You wouldn't!" But he knows I would, I wouldn't even blink, so I just smirk. He gets up. "We have to stop Kieron," he calls out as he runs to the Floo Room.

I follow. "Not so fast, young lady." Young lady? Seriously? "We're going to talk about this."

I turn to my mother. "You're only here because I didn't want to have to tell you separately. Nothing more. We have nothing else to say and you can leave now."

I run to the Floo, thinking thank God I chose to wear sneakers, and get to the infamous Weasley home. I knock into Scorpius when I get there and Albus is on the floor.

I think we're a little late.

* * *

**A/N:** VPBC - Vice President of the Bubblehead Clan. The Clan is what Al, Lexi and their friends call a group of girls In their year.


	5. Albus: When Family Members Understand

I've freaked out a lot recently. So much so that I'm pretty much all out, at least right at this minute. Some part of me wishes I was still freaking out, telling me that my body should not be unnaturally calm while I lean against the kitchen table in my grandparents house, watching my family, bar Louis, talk amongst each other around the house. I should still be freaking out, shouldn't I?

But the rest of me is very glad that I look calm; no one has noticed anything different, no one has any idea what I'm going to say once Louis gets here. They all think I'm just being my typical self; wishing I were somewhere else. Which, as insulting as it is, is also kinda true.

Yeah, so I can only take my family together in small doses. You would too if you were related to them.

...Not the point.

They have no idea just how much everything is going to change. In eight months there's going to be a baby at the table; _my_ baby. And maybe Lexi, finally.

I haven't looked either of my parents in the eye since I came home yesterday. I just keep thinking if I do, they'll know. They can do that, just know things, or at least suspect things, after a look; they're scary like that. Shopping with my mother had been so awkward, I think back and cringe. Man, it took me ages to look at them properly after I lost my virginity just because my mum still considers me her baby. Not Lily, me. This is so much worse than that. Or bigger. I'm kind of undecided on it being the 'worst' thing to happen. It's definitely not a good thing, but for it to be the worst it would have to have been a mistake and I consider it more of an accident.

Why? Because I can't seem to stop thinking about that night and both my body and my mind refuse to acknowledge the mistake of sleeping with my best friend and the pregnancy happened _because_ of that. We don't even like each other as more than friends... Do we?

No, we don't. We really don't. Neither one of us are particularly subtle with our words; if one of us liked the other we'd know by now.

I just wish I could stop thinking about it. Fuck, why couldn't Lexi have been lying when she said she was great in bed?

An odd thought enters my head: did she think the exact same thing about me?

I shake my head, I don't want to know that, run my hands down my face and check my watch. Where is Louis? I really want to get this over and done with. I wonder what Lexi's doing right now? Is she waiting? Has she told already? How did they take the news? Is her dad going to kill me? God, what's her brother _going_ to do to me?

I force down whatever threatens to come back up. Kieron's temper is a force to be reckoned with. Add that to his fiercely protective nature for his sister and I am a dead man. James was right; they're going to put 'Albus Severus Potter - Idiot' on my tombstone. Simple, to the point and very, very true.

I should not have kissed her.

I don't regret kissing her.

I groan. It will say 'crazy idiot' on my stone because I am clearly quite mad, going on completely insane. Why does crazy me have to be so honest?

Where the fuck is Louis?

"Are you okay, son?"

I blink, unaware anyone had come over to me, and finally recognize that it's my dad standing next to me. "Yes," I say, but even I hear my voice waver ever so slightly. Just because I'm no longer freaking out, it doesn't make me okay. I am going to be a_ father_ after all. He frowns at me, gives me that look. You know the 'I'm a parent, I know when you're lying' look. So I just shake my head. "I need Louis to hurry up so I can talk to you all about something very important."

"And what it is is not okay?" he asks cautiously. He goes into 'protective father mode', not that he'll need it once he knows. It's Dad's reaction I want to know the most, so much so that waiting for it is partly what's scaring me. I can pretty much guess the reactions of others; Mum will scold me, remind me of my responsibility, then hug me and tell me we'll be fine; James will laugh, boast about how they were all watching the wrong son; Lily will be so excited about being an aunt that she won't care how it happened and start asking questions. I bet she'll ask us to name the baby Lily if it's a girl.

I'm getting ahead of myself. Way too much. "I don't know what it's going to be," I answer him as honestly as I can. "I hope it'll be okay."

Dad rubs my back, just below my neck. "Louis will be here soon, then you can get whatever it is off your chest. And I promise you now, whatever it is, it _will_ be okay and we'll deal. Alright?"

I almost scoff. Sure, you say that now, I think. But I just nod to him. I hope what he says will actually be true once everyone knows. When the Floo connection opens up I don't look up, thinking it's just Louis. But then I remember that Louis never uses to Floo, he hates getting dirty and will always apparate into the garden. Always.

So when I do look up I want to be sick all over again, and then run away because Kieron looks murderous. They know. "You," he points at me, practically growling. "Come here."

I laugh out of fear. "No, thank you."

He charges for me and I run around to stand behind my dad. Yes, I, Albus Potter, am hiding behind my father. And I definitely don't regret that. He _did_ practically save the world, after all. I glance around Dad to see Dom holding Kieron back, trying to get him to look at my cousin.

"Kieron, what is it? What's wrong?"

That's when he realizes they don't know yet, that I haven't told them; the look in his eye says it all and he gives me a look that's half sinister and half smug before pointing at me again. "He knocked up my sister."

Everyone in my family share a look, and then, almost simultaneously, they turn to me.

I run like hell when Dom let's Kieron go.

xxx

My nose is painful and bleeding, the left side of my face feels swollen and I feel eyes on me, but not even they can force me to open my eyes or move in general.

"Open your eyes, Albus." Oh, no. Not him. _He_ can get me to open my eyes. He nudges my leg. "Look at me, Albus."

"I'd rather not, honestly, I'm safe here," I whisper.

"Not when I'm skilled in Occlumemcy."

My eyes snap open, for me to see Theodore Nott's cool and collected features stare back at me. He keeps eye contact with me and it takes everything I've got to not look away. You wouldn't think there'd be anything to be afraid of when you first look at the man; he's well built but not overly so that it's scary, he's always smiling unless you bring _her _up and when he laughs it's infectious. But when you do something that gets to him, like piss him off, insult his family or, God forbid, say or do something that effects his kids, and it's like his eyes go cold and dark; it's intimidating, it's terrifying, and I refuse to look away from it to show it's the first time I'm afraid of him. Just a little.

But I still wish he was nice Theo with the infectious laugh. Lexi inherited his laugh. Actually I see a lot of Lexi in her dad. _Lexi_. She's the only reason I look away; I want to find her, want to know if she's here. She is, standing by the fireplace between Kieron and her cousin, Scorpius Malfoy. When my eyes connect with her's, Lexi gives me a small smile, reassuring me. Despite what she thinks, she's always reassuring me, been there for me. Maybe, despite enjoying that night a lot, I don't feel anything other than friendship for her, but our relationship is strong and genuine and, after all this, unbreakable; she's my best friend and I love her. I won't tell her, but I do. I smile back and I think that is how we tell each other.

I turn back to her dad to see he's also turned to Lexi then back to me, and he no longer looks cold, just weary. I can understand weary. I understand all of it; he's scared of how we'll handle it, he's scared I'll walk away. I know he is because I had those fears in the beginning. But I got rid of those thoughts straight away and it seems he has now, too.

"You've got yourself into a right mess, Al," he says softly. "Because of Catrine Zabini. That girl is scarier than her mother and just as devious as her brother. You're better than her, to get drunk because of her was completely stupid."

"I know." Of course he knew why, Lexi woud have told him at some point and I spend more time at their house than I do at my own; he knows more about Catrine than Mum does. And I knew all about the Zabini family; her brother Blaise was always talked about as the only 'lovable' playboy, when he _was_ a playboy - apparently when he left them, they felt like they were telling a friend 'I'll see you later.' Her mother and her many husbands never left the society pages. But Blaise had mellowed over the years; he's finally asked his girlfriend to marry him and their son started first year when we started seventh - he's a good kid. She was trouble. I always knew, but it wasn't until after that night that I finally began to see it. Perhaps that's another reason I don't regret us sleeping together. "She's so far from my mind now that it's like I never thought about her to begin with. I only wish it had never started in the first place, but she was different, she didn't care who I was. I think I just held on to that. Look where that got me."

"Now you have a responsibility."

I look up to see my dad's stern, but not angry, face and nod. "You're not mad."

"I'm a little disappointed," he admits and now I wish he was mad. "I always thought it would be James coming to us for something like this. Or Louis. And I'm terrified just imagining myself as a grandparent." He frowns then, only for a second, but it put that thought in Theodore's head; he obviously didn't think about being a grandparent before. He kneels down to rest on the arm of the chair someone must have sat me on after what I assume was Kieron knocking me out. "But, among other things, Alexa told us that you found out on Friday and that your first thoughts were of telling us. You weren't planning on keeping this a secret, so no, I'm not mad."

"I'm mad."

"Quiet, Kieron," Theodore and Alexa say together.

That reminds me of Theodore's feelings. "I thought you'd be mad," I tell him.

"I was." Well, at least he's being honest. "But I've learnt to ask before I attack, which was why I stayed sat down when Kieron came to hurt you. What I wanted to say was kind of answered for me when you shared your look with Lexi; I know you'll be there. I can't ask for much more than that really. You're lucky I like and trust you." He pauses. "You're actually the only guy she's ever been with who I've ever liked."

"Hey!"

He turns to her. "Oh, like I didn't know!" I make sure my grin is gone by the time he turns back to me. "Don't think your off my hitlist, my daughter comes first. The only reason you're still breathing is because I like you and Lexi would secretly be sad if you ended up dead and because that baby will need its dad. But if you decide you can't handle it, if you leave, if you hurt her, I'll come for you."

I gulp and nod. "That will never happen."

"You never know that until it's happening," he states, like he knows from experience and maybe he does. "But right now I believe you."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet; the reality of the situation, of me being a granddad, is finally hitting me and I'm not actually taking it very well." I feel pity for his pained, freaked out expression and I wonder if that's what I looked like yesterday. "Okay, Lexi's allowed to talk now."

Ah, so that's why she was so quiet. They have this thing were only one person is allowed to speak at a time in situations such as this; this was Theodore's turn, so obviously his kids remained quiet. My family really needs to learn that. Though I'm surprised they managed to keep quiet for this long. It's a family record.

"I don't really feel like talking, I need some air." I follow Alexa out into the gardens with my gaze, waiting until she's outside before I stand up. She said she needs some air, I want her to get some before I intrude.

"Can I talk?" James asks, looking smug.

"No," I call out, along with a few other people actually.

I find Alexa across the field were we play Quidditch, by the small pond. She's standing against a tree, just staring into space. "Are you okay, Lexi?"

She turns slowly to face me. Her eyes are red but I don't see any tears fall; she won't let them. "No." Her voice cracks. "We've told them, so what? I still have absolutely no idea what to do now."

I pull her to me, this time the thought of touching her doesn't bring back memories of graduation, but memories of other times we've come across a situation that required consoling. She feels better when you rub her back in slow, soothing circles, says it's relaxing. So I do and she calms down. "It'll be fine. We'll get through this and we'll make it work, you, me and the baby. We can do this." I stop, a thought suddenly coming to me. I have to ask. "I mean, you want the baby, right?"

This is what I mean by not being subtle; we just say what we think.

"The thought of adoption or anything else never crossed my mind," Alexa tells me sincerely. "Admittedly, I haven't thought of much, but even now I don't think I could do that. I only think about being a mother and that's what scares me; what if I'm terrible? I can't even look after my owl, you do."

"It'll take practice, but we have family and friends; we'll be great parents in our own little way," I assure her, but also myself. "You're my best friend; I'll be there all the way."

"You consider me your best friend?" she asks in genuine surprise.

"Yeah, am I not yours?"

I really hope I don't look or sound as disappointed as I feel. Alexa is quiet for a long time, or it seems like a long time, before she finally smiles and grips my shoulders. "Yeah, you are. We're best friends who are having a baby."

I nod and I hesitantly place my hand on her flat stomach - for now. Alexa stiffens, breaths and relaxes under my hand. The freaking out has stopped, the fear has started to wear off a little and I swear the quickening of my heartbeat and the smile on my face is something close to being happy. Should that even be allowed? I move closer. "We're having a baby. It's real and it's happening."

"I know. I'll need your protection from your fans," she jokes. Of course she's joking; I need_ her_ to protect _me_. I tell her so and she laughs that bloody infectious laugh. "Probably true."

I hug her again, this time for me, and she knows this because she let's me. "We're gonna be okay."

I look up and from the corner of my eye see our dads' watching us, probably making sure we _are _okay. "I know."

We spend quite some time outside, not really saying anything, until she gets bored and demands we go back in. The moment we enter through the back, Louis enters through the front, causing everyone to fall into silence.

"Sorry I'm late, I was... held... up." He notices that everyone's quiet. "What did I miss?" he asks slowly. Louis scans the room, I watch him meet the eyes of every person until he lands on Alexa and I. Something must have given us away because he smirks. I look down; my arm is wrapped around Lexi's waist with my hand on her stomach. "Well, at least I know to remember protection. So when's the kid due?"

I want to kill him.

* * *

**A/N:** It's too bad this was Al's POV and he was knocked out, so we don't get to see Theo when he was mad. I might have to do something about that... ;)


	6. Alexa: When Great Minds Think Alike

There's something about this place that I'm not sure about. I just don't know what; it's not right. I look up at an angle, my hands at my hips while I twirl slowly in a circle and take in the apartment once more. I stop at the kitchen and see my dad and Harry Potter speaking in hushed tones; they're discussing our future and I've given up trying to ask them if it is actually a conversation Al and I should be having. That's right; I didn't fail in _telling_ them it was something I should talk about, I failed in _asking_ if it was. How pathetic have I gotten? It's the hormones, I swear. Yesterday, just the thought of them saying no to me had me tearing up a little. It was horrible.

I move my gaze to the door, to the estate agent showing the apartments to us today. She's reading through papers in her binder, when she flicks the papers up it looks like more apartments for us to see. She's nice, the estate agent, she's very understanding of our situation and gives some advice on baby safety that she found helpful, which I promised to keep in mind for later. I just want her to stop flirting with my dad; it's kinda scary and really I wish she wouldn't. She's not bad looking or anything, she's actually very beautiful. Her hair is brown, but the graying roots at the top makes me think it's definitely dyed. She still wears a thin layer of make-up which makes her look younger than I'd assume she is, given when she was told I was pregnant told us she had three grown-up children herself. She really takes care of her appearance without going overboard. But I don't want to tell my kid that their step-nana gave me and their daddy our first homes. Freaky, right? Although, I know that will never happen really and it's fun to watch my dad squirm. That's what he gets for letting Kieron leave, which ending with him knocking Albus out. Payback's a hormonal, pregnant bitch and her name is Alexa Jaimie Nott. Bring it.

And if anyone tells James Potter that my middle name is Jaimie, they _will_ die. Not many people know my middle name, especially not James. I don't hate it, I just don't really mention it, but he has a habit of calling me a different name every time he sees me. I hate to think what he'd call me if he found out.

I finally turn to the window, or at Albus who is looking out of the window, and sigh loudly enough for him to look at me instead, my arms now folded over my chest. He acknowledges me, but so do the others; I can tell they've all looked up, I can see their reflections in the window. Once they realize I'm only looking at Al, they all go back to what they're doing and Al makes his way to me. "So, what do you think?" he asks me.

"In a minute. First, why are they here again?" I jerk my head to the lurkers in the kitchen.

"Lex, the money we made from our summer jobs between school will help pay the rent. The money we make from what jobs we get now will help us continue to pay that rent. Alone, neither of us can afford to buy apartments," Al tells me slowly, like I'm a child. Or he's trying not to set me off again. Again, meaning he's trying, not that my hormones have been going crazy. They haven't, it was just that one time when I thought they'd say no to me. And he may have been there when it happened.

I shake my head quickly, pretending to snap out of a daydream. "Yeah, they're paying. Why are they here now?"

"_Because_ we're paying." I look up to see them stare at us like we're missing the point. Harry continues. "We're entitled to look at the places we're buying."

I point at Harry. "Now you make sense." I point at Albus. "You should have said that." I point at the estate agent. "There's something about this place that I don't like, so we need to keep looking. It's just -" I finally face Al again, considering he's really the one looking at this apartment, so it's him I should ask. "Do you see yourself and the kid in this place?"

"I think you should talk about how you're going to split parenting responsibility to look after the kid before you ask that question."

My dad is just not helpful. Shut up, Dad.

Albus puts an arm around my shoulders and leads me closer to one of the bedrooms. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," he murmurs for only us to hear. I frown; it is? "Remember the other day I said I wanted to ask you something and that I'd ask when we were alone?"

Oh, yeah. I remember. "Yes."

"Well, given the last three days we've been looking at apartments, I think this is about as alone as we're going to get and I need to say it now."

"Okay." Al nods repeatedly at me, but says nothing. "That was your cue to speak."

"Right," he pulls himself from his thoughts. "It's just a little harder than I thought it would be. Okay, so I've been thinking about the whole 'splitting responsibility' thing and I was talking to Teddy while I was thinking and he was telling me about things that are special for first time parents, during the pregnancy and after."

I pull a face; throwing up and getting bigger are special? I don't believe that. And, yes, I may have done a little pregnancy research of my own. "Like what?"

"Like feeling the baby kick for the first time, for example," Al answers and he sounds kind of excited about the thought of touching my stomach. I bet he hasn't fully acknowledged that bit. "He also talked about when the baby crawls for the first time, their first steps and their first word. Anyway, I don't want to miss that. I said I'd be here for the pregnancy all the way and, after talking to Ted, I really want to be there after, too. So, I was thinking we could be... roommates."

My mouth drops open. Really? Did he basically just ask what I think he just asked? "It can be until the baby is maybe a year old or so, we can talk about what happens next _then_."

I think he's continuing to explain his idea, but I swear all I hear is him asking me to live with him, to share the responsibility together and not be alone. Oh, right, he is still talking.

"Teddy told me about the responsibility; the getting up late for feeding and changing and all that. We have family, but we can't call them for help all the time and I think it'll be better if we're together for this and not alone. If we're in this together we should be together, literally I mean, living together. Not in the relationship sense, that would be weird."

"Yes." It just slips out before he can say anymore. I don't want him to say any more anyway; my answer would still be the same. _Not alone_. Imagining it is like heaven. "We can be roommates. We were in the same house at Hogwarts and you practically lived at my house. It'll be like that, only we'll live on take out because neither of us can cook and we don't have anyone to do that for us."

"Exactly." Al grins. He's like a kid at Christmas. Teddy must have really focused on the special moments. I don't care, I love Teddy right now. _Not alone_.

Although it would have been nice if I'd been there to hear it myself. It was weird and awkward being at the Burrow on Sunday; Louis more or less said exactly what I thought; I expected Lily to be excited; James was _just_ as predictable. And Scorpius spent the day talking to Lily _about _her excitement. But his other cousins only gave us an extremely awkward congratulations like they really didn't know what else to say to us. His aunts and uncles were just as bad, and I thought they'd have at least said _something_ to us considering they'd had kids, but only his Aunt Hermione talked of 'responsibility' and it wasn't much after our dads had spoken. Nicky spoke about it with us; he asked if we'd thought about the future without asking too much that _that_ became uncomfortable, too. Then he reminded me that I knew his address and number and that all I had to do was call. I do like his mother, Ginny; she shouted at him, then she hugged him. _Then_ she hugged me and told me I was welcome any time, to talk to her if I needed anything and said she'd make an appointment to see a healer for confirmation and all that. That appointment is on Monday.

I can tell I'm gonna get on _so_ well with Albus' family.

Anyway... I agree with Al. "Exactly. We should tell them." I glance at the people still in the kitchen. "Yay, okay."

Oh, no. Did I just say 'yay'? "Why are you two 'yay-ing' and 'okay-ing'?"

Damn, too loud. They heard me. The shame. But I'm just too excited to care. Finally, something good is happening to me. Something is taking the fear away just that little bit more. We walk back to them, the estate agent now giving us her full attention again, and I run my hands through my hair. "Well, we've decided to share the responsibility together and be roommates," I start.

"So, we're gonna need a slightly bigger place," Al finishes.

"Bigger space?" Dad splutters. Wait for it. "_More_ money?" There it is. He goes a fairly dark shade of red, choking out random noises and words I don't understand. If he doesn't calm down in another minute, I'll start fearing for his health. Finally he shouts out, "I'm not getting you a house!"

I laugh, so tempted to see how far I can get with the idea of getting a house. But I decide against it; I love my dad too much to do that to him. "We're not talking about a house. The baby doesn't have to have his own nursery, it can still be two bedrooms and the crib can go in my room. The rooms will just have to be a little bigger, to fit a double bed and a crib and all our things, because you know I'd roll and fall out of a single bed. A lot. And," I stretch out my arms, almost hitting Al in the face, "space to roam. Besides, we've agreed it's officially only for the first year or so. We'll talk about living arrangements again after that. Though I'm actually starting to think we're stuck together."

Dad points an accusing finger at me. "Are you excited by the thought of not being alone or because you'd get to spend more of my money?"

I'm completely honest with my answer. "Both, Dad. Always both."

"Actually," Al butts in, "because you'd be combining the money to buy the same apartment rather than buying us each one separately, you may actually be spending less all around." He turns to me. "With all the money, we might be able to afford a house."

I jump up and down once, clapping my hands. I'm acting like a Bubblehead Clan member, but, again, I really don't care. I knew I made Albus Potter my best friend for a reason, Slytherin that we are.

Dad glares. "No. I prefer the idea of spending less money. Not the same, not more. _Less_. What do you think about them living together for the baby, Harry?"

"I think they've practically been living together since they were eleven, at school, yes, but also at yours and they know exactly what each other is like. Plus," Harry points at me, "Alexa can't drink and their predicament is about as big as it can get, so they'll be fine."

"Hey," I say, a little insulted. "What about _your_ son?"

"If, heaven forbid, anything happened, you'd be sober to think clearly and stop him. Or slap him." Yeah, I would do that. I nod. "Best friends sharing an apartment? Okay. _I'm_ actually wondering why this didn't come up sooner. Might have saved time."

"Awesome."

I face the estate agent for the first time and watch her look really busy with papers and her phone. I'm glad we decided to live in a Muggle area of London. Besides my love of their electronics, communication is so quick. When she notices we're all watching her, she says, "I heard your every word and I'm on it."

It's the second time today I've said 'yay'.

Pregnancy can really mess a girl up.

xxx

The estate agent leads us into the new, bare apartment and stands in the middle with a wide smile. She throws the occasional glance at Dad behind us, but mainly keeps her focus on us. They may be paying for it, but we get to pick it. It's like they can look but not touch any of the chocolate in the factory while Al and I get free reign. It's so much fun. "So, this one has a spacious open-plan living and kitchen area, two large bedrooms, a brand new bathroom with an utility closet next door and a balcony with a view of the city."

I swear, the moment she says 'balcony' Albus' head whips to the side faster than lightening and his eye twitches. So, not this one. But when she says to look around, we do anyway. We check each room together, not speaking until we're back in the living room. We decided from the start we would save our opinions for the end. "So?" he asks me first.

Well, we both already know his answer, so I might as well. "I like the space out here, it's good, and the overall size of the bedrooms is great, definitely big enough for a double bed and a crib. But I don't like the wardrobes; I need space for both me and the baby and that looked too small. I thought about putting half of the baby's things in mine and half in yours, but that seems like a hassle we don't need. Al?"

"I'm not comfortable with the idea of a balcony and a baby in the same house. I'm already a paranoid over-thinker, how do you think we knew about this so fast? I don't need more nightmares."

I knew it. And, apparently, so did Dad and Harry. "Next," is all Harry says.

xxx

The next apartment is slightly smaller, I can tell. And also very empty. She does the same; brings us in, stands in the middle and gives us a description of the apartment. "It's on a lower floor this time. Here are double doors, but it's just a metal gate, no balcony, and the gaps between the bars are thin; wide enough for an arm to go through, but nothing more." She opens the doors to demonstrate. "The living and kitchen areas are slightly smaller, but still have enough room. The bedrooms themselves are also smaller." I frown. "They're still big enough for a double bed and a crib. And a smaller space makes for a larger wardrobe."

I feel better now. When she finishes the description and says to look around, I go straight to the bedroom. I can easily imagine a nice double bed and a crib by the wall, I just can't imagine it being _my _double bed and _my_ kid's crib. Something about this place just doesn't feel right to me, either. I don't want to see anymore, I just go back to the living room and find Al already there. "Well?"

"I don't know," he mutters. "I just don't see it."

"Me neither." I'm confused because it's a nice place and less than our combined budget. Then the ceiling starts to shake a little, dust falls, making me cough and sneeze, and people above are yelling. "Thin walls," I wheeze.

"Next," is all Dad says.

***

The next three places are all busts, too, and I'm so tired, I just want to sleep. By four pm I'm all but ready to give up and try again another day while I wait for Al and Harry to leave the apartment. "We've got one more stop for today, then we'll try again another day."

It's like the estate agent read my mind. _Thank you_.

"We'll go, _then_ try again?" Al asks curiously. "Do you automatically think we won't like it?"

That is actually a good question.

"Honestly, I think you will like it. I just don't think you'll get it in the end. But I want you to see anyway, just in case."

"Lead the way," I say just before I yawn.

We get into the old Weasley car, which Harry drives while both Al and I slouch to hide from the view of the windows in fear of being seen in it, and follow the estate agent in her's. Seriously, this car should not driven anymore. The drive isn't that far, but it's nothing like what we've been looking at all day. They're estates, as in houses. She stops outside of our apparent destination and I get out as soon as I'm able. "I have a bad feeling about this," Dad mumbles.

"No wonder she doesn't think we'll get it in the end," I tell Al, rolling my eyes. "She did hear the conversation."

"She's effectively ruined getting that date," he laughs quietly.

We continue to laugh behind their backs, practically snickering. This is fun, we haven't been bitchy in a while, not since graduation when we made passing comments about Rich Waterman for thinking he could use me to 'clear the way' for Bubblehead Clan president to get to Al. It was not cool.

I can't help but enjoy this moment. If my smile is anything to go by, I'm _really_ enjoying this moment. It feels normal, we're back to normal. I rub my hand across my stomach as we enter the house. Well, more or less normal. She leads us all into the living room and already the dads are not very happy.

But we are.

"So, this is the living area," Al says, more to me than the woman.

I nod. I walk past Dad and Harry, to the wall by the door. "I see the couch here."

"Yeah, and the television could go in the corner," he points to the space by the window, "or the wall right across from the couch. I like it."

The woman asks if we're ready to see more and leads us out and across the hall. "The dining area, a nice size; big enough for family dinners and parties." I can see us having dinner with family in here; Kieron and Nicky, our parents. She leads us away. "A smaller dining area, for breakfast and lunch maybe, and it's open-plan with the kitchen. The kitchen's been newly refurbished; the door opens to the garden."

She opens the back door and shows us the garden. It's a fairly large garden, nicely kept, the edges filled with flowers with a swing set at the end. "The previous occupants left the swing because their children are a little older. They say if the new owners have children they can keep it or throw it away. Shall we see the upstairs?"

"Please," I reply. "I love this house," I whisper to Albus on our way up the stairs. "I want it, I want it, I want it."

"On the slim chance our parents actually buy it for us, will you make me move out afterwards?"

I link our arms together at the top. "I don't know. I'll probably trade in for a bigger one later."

He only shakes his head and laughs. If we actually do go through with the roommate idea, which seems very likely right now, I have no idea what will happen by the end of it. Personally, I think that, unless we meet someone else, we really could stay roommates for longer than the year, even if we weren't havng a baby. And since I don't think any guy my age will want to date a single mum, I think I'll stick with the idea of staying roommates for a while, despite what we said. Albus may still meet someone, being who he is and all, and if that happens don't you think I deserve to have wherever we stay, even if it isn't the house? I hate the esate agent now, by the way, because I love this house.

"So this is the master bedroom," she says, "complete with en-suite." She points to the small door, by the door we came in, the closet next to it. I walk around the bare room, imaging sleeping in here. And I can, it reminds me of my room at home with the white walls and the bathroom by the door.

"This would definitely be my room," I announce, nodding. "Definitely."

"Since we're speaking hypothetically," Al says. So he saw the look and my dad's face, too. "Why would this be _your_ room?" I give him a look, just one, reminding him of how this all started. I made him take sixty percent of the blame (I was being nice), so I overrule him. "Fine."

I smirk as we walk out and she shows us the next biggest room, what could be Al's room. It's on the left of what could be my room, the bathroom in-between. I see it was a boy's room already, the paint is a deep blue. Which, coincidently, is Al's favorite color. It's only a little smaller than mine, which I know he likes, and doesn't have a bathroom, which he doesn't mind. Why does this house have to keep getting better?

Finally, she leads us to the room that was on the right of my bedroom. I think I feel a few tears when I walk in. Stupid hormones. The walls are a faded white color, which can be painted over, and the borders are of teddy bears playing drums. I don't normally do cute, it's not me. But this wouldn't be for me, it'd be for the kid, so as its mum I'm allowed to think it's cute, right? "This could be the baby's room."

I think what scares me the most isn't that I can see this room as the baby's room, but I see it as _my_ baby's room. There's no more 'the', it's all 'my'. I see _me_ in the room with _my_ baby. I thought the knowledge of being pregnant had finally sunk in, but no. Not until now. Breathe, Alexa. Just breathe.

"Hey, are you okay?" Al is in front of me, his hands on my shoulders. I nod, shaky. Why am I shaky? "It's good to breathe, Lex."

"This is really real," I whisper, not in shock like I felt before when he asked me how I was. I sound empty, like I'm stating a fact. I'm back in Hogwarts, giving an answer a teacher has picked me out to give. I give the answer willingly, but it doesn't mean anything to me. This doesn't mean anything because I already knew it, it just didn't seem to completely sink in until now. Until this room.

"Yeah, it is, but remember what we said on Sunday," he says.

"We're okay," I recite. I change the subject. "I really like this room."

"You saw it, too," Albus replies, nodding. I'd say I gave something away, but he just knows me that well. Sometimes, we're great minds; we think alike. And we both think that this room is our kid's. Which means...

"Dad," I drawl, turning around. I've got my head cocked to the right and my winning smile clear for them both to see.

"No. I'm not buying you a house," he exclaims. "No way. An apartment, maybe. But you're not ready for your own house." Phase two: I stick out my lower lip, my hands joined together and tucked under my chin. I want to say it's like when I was a kid, but, just like now, I still use it. It's a rule you follow when you want something and I really want this house. "Not the look."

He starts to crack. I sense defeat. Ha, I'm winning. My dad can go after every criminal Harry gives him with no problem. But he can't get past me. I'm his daughter; I learnt from the best. "We've got the combined budget of what was going to be two apartments, we've got our summer job salaries sitting in our accounts, as well as all the money we've ever chosen to save growing up, and we're not exactly short of money. We can afford this house, in this nice little neiborhood where I can see kids riding bikes in the street from out the window and people waving to each other as they walk past. Dad, it's so nice part of me is wondering why I'm saying this and wanting to leave. So why aren't I?"

"Because you're a parent," Harry speaks almost as a whisper. "You're not thinking about yourself. It took you seeing this room to realise it, but the thoughts were always there."

I agree with him completely. I knew he'd see that, they both would. They're parents. "It's not about the money," Dad admits. "You're eighteen years old; I don't think you're ready for a house."

"It's an apartment with stairs," Al shrugs. I elbow him. "What? I'm just trying to see the difference between sharing a flat and sharing a house."

"Adults have houses, families."

Albus' eyes narrow. I can't remember the last time he looked ready to hurt someone and it's never been directed at my father before. "Families can live in an apartment, too. And we are adults, especially in the eyes of the law. Just because we're not together, doesn't mean this kid won't be part of a family." He turns to the estate agent. "We love the house."

She waits for conformation from both our dads before she does anything. Dad could easily say no and walk away; he is the one with the money after all. But he doesn't. When Harry eventually nods, he looks back at us. "Call yourself an adult all you want, but until you're actually working and have a steady income this house is mine. Since I assume it'll be Lexi who keeps it." He glance around the room and I know why he thinks that. "Everything about this house comes through me. You need anything, you come to me. That is the deal, the _only _one I'm prepared to give."

"Deal."

I grin, agreeing with Al, and walk to my dad, practically squeezing him. He kisses the top of my head and hugs back. "Deal."

We let each other go and he walks over to the door. "Now it seems I have papers to sign. After you, Jenna."

Oh, so that's her name. I really should have payed more attention. Harry laughs at us before shaking his head and leaving the room to follow my dad. Which leaves just me and Albus in the baby's nursery. One shared grin and we slap our hands together.

We have a house.

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you enjoy.

Sam.


	7. Albus: When it Begins

I don't like hospitals, I've never liked hospitals, and now I know I will never like hospitals. It used to be that the thought of all that blood, all those sick and hurt people, would make my skin crawl, I felt ill and I really just wanted to get out of there. But now I just get an uncomfortable feeling. Right now I'd take the uncomfortable feeling because at least that is better than boredom.

Mum made the appointment to confirm the pregnancy, make sure everything was okay and all that, with a healer she knew and liked. She'd started healer training not long before I was born and was Vic and Teddy's healer for Ryan and Dora. If that's the case, she has to be the best. So I trust Mum's judgement and Vic's agreement, I just hate waiting. There's a problem of some sort, I wasn't really listening. I might have zoned out after hearing the words 'it'll be a while'. I didn't like those words.

So now I'm waiting, reading some stupid magazine because I thought it best to not touch the pregnancy leaflets just yet, and I'm all alone. Lexi left me in some waiting room in a fancy looking ward that, compared to the rest of St. Mungo's, is very new and is obviously for pregnancy and everything to do with kids because I vaguely remember Mum saying we were only here for Lily's birth (it wasn't here when James and I were born, that's how 'new' it is), but I don't remember ever actually being here. Why would I? I wasn't even two when she graced us with our presence and I had to share a room with James. Sisters; gotta love them.

How long does it take to go to the bathroom? I lift off the chair, about to ask someone to check on Lexi, check on her myself if I have to, when she comes back into the waiting room and makes her way to me. Thank God, I did not like the idea of checking on her myself. Lexi sighs loudly as she practically falls into her seat and I pick up the magazine again. "You alright?"

"Yes."

"You took quite a while. Did you have to, you know?" I gesture with my hand.

She laughs at me. She actually laughs at me. I should not be surprised by this. "No, Al, I did not have to throw up." I go back to the stupid magazine and ignore her. I'm not actually sure what I'm reading anymore, when you're as bored as I am it all just blurs into one. "How bored are you?"

"How can you tell I'm bored at all?" I ask slowly, although I can tell just by listening to what I just said and hearing my own voice. My voice sounds extremely dull. I hate it, it depresses me. It because of this place. I hate my dull voice and I hate this place... Yeah...

I'm done.

"You're reading the Agony Aunt section of Witch Weekly."

I turn to face her and her raised eye-brow, her eyes are on the magazine, then I actually focus on it. "Oh, yeah," I chuckle. "This used to be good. Mum said they talked about real problems, it was a way to get help with issues after the war while staying anonymous. Witch Weekly did it because the Prophet still needed some work." I stop. "I don't know why that is interesting."

"We need to get you out of here." Lexi crosses her fingers and squeezes her eyes shut. "Please hurry up and call us in so we can leave. Please."

She repeats it a couple of times and then one of the doors open, a young medi-witch popping her head out. "Alexa Nott?"

Lexi's eyes snap open as soon as she hears her name, drops her hands and turns to me. "Well, that almost never works. Come on," she says, grabbing my hand.

And the uncomfortable feeling is back.

I drop the magazine and follow, and not just because she's making me. The medi-witch points to the bed and asks Lexi to get comfortable. She lets go of my hand now that I'm in the room, so I'm left to stand by her side with my arms folded over my chest, looking and feeling like an idiot who doesn't know what he's doing. Only, instead of just looking like it, I really don't know what I'm doing. "There's a chair in the corner if you'd like to sit down, sir."

Sir? Did she just call me sir? "I'm good, thanks," I force a smile. I can't be old enough to be a 'sir' yet. She's freaking older than me!

She doesn't notice. "Healer Moore will be here soon."

As soon as she leaves and I wait long enough to guess she's not near the door, I turn to Alexa. "Sir?" Alexa rubs her ear. Dramatic gesture or not, I don't care if it came out louder than intended. "Show some compassion, I'm traumatized here."

"You're traumatized? Get a little perspective, I have to push out a human being." I can't help but shrug and nod and agree with her. Let's face it, I'd rather be called 'sir'. That sounds painful. And I know painful; I've had a quaffle thrown at certain areas. Again, you gotta love sisters. Please, let this baby be a boy. Lexi shuffles on the bed, pulls up the pillows so she can lean back but while sitting up still. "This is so comfy. You alright, standing?"

"Stop smirking." Time to get that chair, I think.

The door opens then and a woman I assume is Healer Moore comes in, smiling widely at us. It's warm, a little reassuring actually. The uncomfortable feeling lessens somewhat. She pushes back a bit of hair behind her ear and holds out her hand. "Alexa Nott."

"Hello."

She does the same for me. "And Albus Potter. Your mum talks about you a lot. It's nice to meet you both. I'm Healer Moore, but after months of seeing me, patients usually end up calling me Annie."

"It's nice to meet you, Healer Moore," I say, letting go of her hand.

She turns to Lexi. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Tired, emotional. A little nauseous actually." They both stare at me like I've grown another head. I laugh awkwardly. "But you were obviously talking to Alexa. I'm gonna get that chair." I grab it and bring it to the bed, so my arms can rest on top. Man, that does feel comfy. "I'm good now."

"I'm good, too. Unless we're counting the shock, then there's some still there. But I've spent this week processing it."

Yeah, she willingly came and spent time at my house, talking to my family outside of school and everything. She did tell me her mum and maternal grandparents had been looking for her at home and that Daphne Greengrass would never come to my house, but I choose ignore the ulterior motive. She didn't come to my grandparents house on the Sunday, though. That's next on my list.

"I'm glad to hear that," Moore smiles again. "Any symptoms at all? A little emotional? Morning sickness?" Moore glances at me while she asks Lexi this. What? Dads can feel those things, too. Maybe it's not due to whatever happens to the body in pregnancy, but it's definitely because of pregnancy in general.

"I've seen a slight change in emotions, I'll admit," she says. I hold back my scoff. Slight? I've seen her almost cry more times since this happened than the whole time I've known her. And I really mean almost cried; she never actually does.

"You're still in the early stages, but I wouldn't be surprised if the morning sickness started soon. Although, there are some women it doesn't happen to."

Alexa crosses her fingers. "To me being one of those women."

Healer Moore laughs in reply, but we both know Alexa is definitely not joking. She hates being ill. Having a cold or something she's fine with, she gets to lie in bed or on the couch and watch movies with ice cream and chocolate, but being physically sick is a big no; she can't eat the ice cream or chocolate. I'm not sure how she'll take morning sickness... And I'll have to live with it!

I didn't think of that. When I came up with the idea of being roommates, one of the first things that came to my head was how it would have happened whether she was pregnant or not. I always knew she'd help me find a place to live, love it and end up moving in. She was right in the house; we're stuck together. And it's not a bad thing. We're good together, we work. So, I'll just have to handle morning sickness, won't I?. If I have to. I cross my fingers for her, too.

"I'm going to perform the ultrasound now." Healer Moore pulls forward the machine, a box with a blank screen on a stand with wheels, and takes off what looks like a mouse on a computer. It's wired to the machine. "This device," she waves the mousy looking thing, "will act as a Muggle video camera, taking a image from inside your stomach."

"How does it do that?" I find myself saying. It's like I only imagined saying it, until Healer Moore smirks at me.

"Magic. The image will project onto the screen beside me. This will let us see the baby. I warn you now, it's a little cold." She places the device, as she called it, onto Lexi's stomach as soon as her top is lifted up. I barely notice Lexi shiver, my eyes are glued to the screen. This is it. This is why we're here, going to appointments and sharing a house with a nursery and a swing in the garden.

And I am shitting myself.

There's silence for a few minutes and then Healer Moore points at a small speck to the right, no bigger than a peanut. "There is your baby. Congratulations."

Right. Yeah. Okay.

"That's it?" I hear Lexi ask. "That little thing?"

"That's it."

I don't even bother trying to speak, to acknowledge what they're saying. They sound so far away, I could be imagining it all anyway. I still can't take my eyes off the screen, this time because of what I can see, not what I was waiting to see. I helped to make that little speck on the right.

Whoa.

I feel as though I'm frozen, like I'll never move again, until a hand curls over my own and squeezes. The trance breaks and I look down, then to Lexi. She's smiling at me; half amused by me, half sincere.

"I'll give you both a minute," Healer Moore says quietly, standing up.

"Thank you," I murmur just as she gets to the door. She nods in acknowledgement and leaves the room. I go back to face the screen, getting up. It's not so easy moving around the bed while also holding onto someone's hand, involves a bit of stretching, but I manage it and I sit by Lexi's side, on the bed, with our hands still joined and now resting on her stomach. I'm glad Healer Moore had taken the picture and removed the mousy looking device before leaving; it would have been awful to lose the picture if our hands had knocked the device. I pull the screen closer. "I can't believe that's our baby."

"I know. I can't believe I made that with you."

"I'm gonna pretend not to be hurt by that."

"You know what I mean." Lexi pushes me to the side playfully with her free hand and when I turn to face her, she's rolling her eyes. "I never thought I'd ever sleep with my best friend and end up having a baby."

"I know."

Lexi let's go of my hand, sits up properly to swing her legs off the bed and sit by my side. "Do you think we'll be able to get a picture?"

"I don't see why not," I shrug. "My mum went to a Muggle hospital for her scans of me and James, she wanted to show everyone apparently, but this ward was built by the time Lily was born and Mum said she came here. So, she must have got Lily's here because she has one."

"Yeah, you can thank Aunt Astoria for that," she laughs quietly. I frown. "She petitioned to the Ministy and hospital staff for this ward to makes things easier for mums. She said if Muggles can have a clean and safe hospital environment with the necessary medicines and equipment for pregnancy, then so can we. People agreed with her and she had Uncle Draco donate money and help fund the ward."

"That was nice of her. But why did she do it?"

Then she really laughs and it's that really loud, infectious laugh that she gets from her dad. I can't help but join her. "Because Scorpius was a nightmare." Once we settle down, she pokes me in the arm. "Apparently so were you. She met your mother a few times in the beginning, Ginny became a big supporter."

"Good to know."

"You wanna know what else is good for you to know?" I nod. "Labor sounds painful enough. If this baby is anything like you were, I'll hurt you. I'll make you feel all the pain I'd have felt."

"You'll have to catch me first."

The door opens before Lexi has a chance to say anything and I am safe for a little while longer. Healer Moore hands me a card. "It's your appointment for your three month scan. If you have any problems getting to the appointment, let me know and we'll rearrange. And this is a prescription to help with your first trimester." Then she turns to the machine, she presses a button on the side and the picture comes out. It's like one of those cameras that develops the picture and has it come out the other end after it's taken. Hugo's grandfather got him one once for Christmas. She hands both the prescription and the scan to Lexi. "I'll see you in a few weeks."

We thank her and she follows us out. "If you have any problems feel free to call."

"We will," Lexi says sincerely as we shake her hand again.

"Al!" I turn to the voice shouting my name. Oh, my God. Someone gave Louis a fat lip and the side of his head is black and blue. Are they stitches? "Hey. A healer said you were here, I thought I'd say hi. I can follow you out."

"What the hell happened to you?"

"Were you finally caught by some poor girl's boyfriend?" Alexa snickers. I nudge her with my elbow. It's an excellent point, but now is not the time.

Louis glares. "She'd hardly be a 'poor girl' if she'd slept with me in the first place. They tell me they're single, I'll have you know. And no, it's work related. The crazy bastard hit me with some curse, knocked me backwards and into a wall. The potion should be about ready to kick in and heal my face. The stitches are to close my head wound until it kicks in."

He's right, already I've noticed the bruises are lighter in color. But as soon as he opens his mouth again I'm tempted to completely rearrange his face myself. This cannot be happening. He grins at Healer Moore and holds out his hand. "Hi. You must be the amazing healer my aunt says is looking after my cousin's accident."

He has such a way with words. She looks at him skeptically, but takes it. "Healer Moore. You're an Auror?"

"No, Hit Wizard," he corrects. "I work with Alexa's dad."

"He's in training and works for my dad."

Louis shushes her. "Do you have a first name, Healer Moore?"

"Annabel, but everyone calls me Annie."

"Pretty name. And you work on the pregnancy ward. Do you have kids?"

Oh, God. I know where this is going. Why aren't I stopping it?

Healer Moore folds her arms over her chest and looks him up and down. Something tells me she knows where it's going, too. Okay, this is why I'm now not going to stop it. This could be fun to watch. "I have two; a six year old daughter and a two year old son."

"You and your husband must be proud," he answers, but he's got that smug smile going. He's seen the lack of a ring.

"I'm recently divorced actually."

Her smirk is bigger. I turn to Lexi, whisper if she has any idea what Healer Moore is planning. She does not. Damn. "I'm sorry." He's not. "That must be hard for the kids. I wouldn't be surprised if you were to keep any guy you were seeing away from the them for as long as possible."

"You have no idea."

"He really does," I mutter.

He gives me a dead arm, the dick. "So, anyway," he turns back to her, "Annie, recently divorced, two kids, perfectly happy to keep the guy away. I'm Louis Weasley, it's lovely to meet you."

"Hello, Louis. I distinctly remember hearing your name over and over when you never called my medi-witch back." She pointed to the young woman behind us. It's the medi-witch who called us in and called me 'sir'. Oh no.

"Uh oh, Sophie."

"It's good to know you remember her name," Healer Moore says cooly. She looks both professional and scary.

Louis laughs awkwardly and steps back. "Well played, Ms. Moore. I have to go before she sees me."

"I've never seen him run so fast," I chuckle. "You're awesome and he deserves it."

"I'll see you both in a few weeks and if you could keep your cousin away, that would be great. I just don't want Sophie seeing him and crying again. It's not fair on her and some of the patients don't really like it."

I nod. "I'll do my best. But I wouldn't worry about Louis coming back anyway, he's really uncomfortable around kids. Vic won't even let him hold Dora in case he drops her. So all's good." I take Lexi's hand. "Coming?"

"Yeah. I love her," she whispers to me as we walk away. "No one ever has the guts to talk to Louis like that."

"Except you," I add.

"I thought I'd be alone forever," she jokes. At least I think she's joking. "Oh no. He waited for us." I let her go in front of me, which means she let's go of my hand, and she stops in front of Louis. "Why are you still here?"

"I'm putting off going back to work." He shivers. "Paperwork, ugh. I don't want to do it."

Lexi walks past him and into the elevator. We follow and I end up in the middle. I glance at both of them; it's probably a good thing.

"Your healer is good, no one has ever said something like that to me before."

"She said stay away from the ward, she doesn't want Sophie seeing you and crying."

"Fair enough." I admit, I'm surprised. I share a look with Lexi and even she is. We expected something... Different from Louis. "It's not like I'll never see her. She has to leave here sometime."

Oh, there he is. I was actually afraid I'd lost my cousin for a minute.

I shake my head, stopping Lexi from whatever it is she was about to say, and we step out of the elevator. "I have to go to work."

"You can't tell Theo you're dying. Your head is looking better already."

"Damn. See ya."

As soon as we're outside of what we know is the hospital, although all we can see now is an abandoned building, I give a quick wave and watch Louis apparate before we leave the side alley and enter the busy streets of London. "You leave me alone with that every Sunday."

"For that reason," Lexi scoffs. "You could always have dinner with me and Dad. He does cook, you know."

"I can't, I eat with you on Fridays to get out of eating Dad's idea of food. I can't have two days in one week. I need 'family time'."

"Think of it this way; your whole family can't meet up for dinner every Sunday and they are usually the one's who have jobs and other commitments. Soon you are going to be one of those family members, what with your job and your kid." Lexi smirks at me. "Why can't you handle your family again?"

"They're big and scary and do crazy things."

"Like knock up their best friends?"

"No," I glare. "But Dom did sleep with one of his best friends once."

"And?"

"They're still together. And I got to meet the best friend's evil little sister again."

She raises an eye-brow. "Evil, eh?"

"Yeah, she likes to mess with my head and blame me for everything, among other things."

"She sounds like a bitch. I like her already. Lunch? We have stuff to discuss."

***

Lexi picks a nice, little café for lunch and, as it is actually a very warm summer's day, we sit outside under the awning. The waitress comes back with our sodas and I order a tuna sandwich with a side order of chips while she asks for the same, only chicken instead of tuna. Once we're alone, Lexi has some of her drink and leans forward. "So, I was thinking about telling others."

"What about it?"

"Well, you were there and made me take the test, so I didn't have to tell you, and we kind of had to tell our families, being eighteen and not together all, but I was thinking about our friends and the media and everyone else. I mean, you're not exactly unknown in this world."

"True." I'm glad Lexi has decided to bring this up really, because I've been thinking about the same thing. "It's understandable that we had to tell our parents now, but I only told the rest of them as well because as great as they are at keeping a secret from the rest of the world, they're not so good at keeping one from each other," I admit, taking a drink of my own.

"Right. So, I was thinking that for everyone else, we wait until after this next scan to tell our friends and then we'll come up with a plan for the media. We'll tell them when everything is... Okay."

"You actually looked at the website I wrote down," I say, awed. I told her what the website said about miscarriages in the beginning, although I also told her that I didn't know if things would be different as we have magic and potions, but I didn't think she'd really look.

"I glanced. I had to go all the way to the library to glance because I don't have a computer, but I glanced." She grinned at me. "I also read a couple of those leaflets you refused to while we were waiting."

"Any good?"

"See for yourself next time we're there," Lexi winks. See, she's evil. "Oh, good, our food is here."

The waitress puts down our food. "Enjoy your meal," she smiles brightly.

I lift my sandwich up and glance at Lexi. She hasn't even taken a bite and she already looks a little green. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she mutters. "It's just... The tuna smell -"

She bolts out of her chair and runs away, to the ladies room I presume. "And so it begins," I whisper to myself, taking a bite of my sandwich.

Man, this is delicious.


	8. Albus: When Safe Areas are Needed

I can't wait until I officially move out, because then I can sleep peacefully without the knowledge that with sunrise comes pain. And by pain, I mean my sixteen year old sister jumping on me while shouting out her daily demands. Now the physical pain of being jumped on, I can handle. But the demands, that gets to me mentally. Maybe a little emotionally as well. It's _too_ early.

I groan loudly and turn onto my side, causing Lily to slide off my stomach and onto the bed, and I bury my face into my mattress. But she doesn't go away, like I ever thought she would. "Get up, Albus." Demand one. "We need to talk about my niece or nephew. If it's a girl, you're calling her Lily."

Demand two. I roll my eyes, even though she can't see it, and turn back onto my back. Sleep is hopeless; I'm awake now, I might as well get this over and done with and start my day. It's not like this is the first time, she's been saying this to me since the day after the scan six weeks ago and she'll continue to say it until I listen to her. Her words, not mine. No way is this kid being named after my bratty sister, I'd rather name her after Rose... No, on second thoughts I'd rather name her Lily. Not that I have anything against Rose, she's great despite us no longer being as close as we used to be, I just don't think Lexi would approve. They have issues with each other. God knows why.

Lily nudges me, looks down with her eager, 'I'm waiting as patiently as I can but don't push me' smile, and sits cross-legged in the space on the bed with her arms folded over her chest. She has to wait patiently, _she_ may be predictable every morning but I give her something new each time. At least I'm not bored in the mornings. I shrug and start slow, with something I've only said once before. The first time. Lily didn't have an answer then. "What if it's a boy?"

Her smile doesn't dim, like the first time, in fact it seems to get wider. Her eyes are bright with excitement. She has her answer. "I still can't think of an alternative of Lily for a boy and if he is a boy I don't want my nephew traumatized with a girls name, even if it is awesome. So, instead, his name should be one that I love."

"What's that?"

Practically giddy with excitement, Lily jumps up and down on her knees and moves closer to me. I sit up and lean against the headboard. We're face-to face now. She raises her hands like she's presenting something and acts like she's revealing the most important piece of information in the world. In her mind, maybe she is. On both counts. "If it's a boy, you name him -" Lily slides her hands away from each other... "Elliot."

I cock my head to the right, just a little, and narrow my eyes in thought. The longer the seconds pass, the bigger Lily's grin gets and she drops her hands in her lap with enthusiasm. She's given a few suggestions randomly, for boys and girls names, during the weeks, and I've dismissed each and every one immediately. So she's treating my silence as a good thing, she _knows_ I'm thinking about it. Truth is, I haven't wanted to think about names. But now is different. It's been six weeks since our confirmation appointment, six weeks since Healer Moore gave us our scan of the little speck that is mine and Lexi's baby along with a new appointment card for another scan. A scan that is on Friday, two days away. A scan that means the end of the first trimester, that means everything's okay and as it should be, that means telling our friends and picking names and buying things for the nursery.

It means it's real.

And names seem to be my safe area, I can't go wrong with choosing names. When I have time to think about it. Who knew Auror training would be so exhausting? I'm not even going to stay on as an Auror, but I figured the skills would come in handy. Theodore agreed with me. So, I'm going through three years of exhaustion, so that in the end I'll have a badge that says 'Albus Potter - Bounty Hunter' because you can't just become a bounty hunter, you need training and knowledge of the law. Can't wait. I've even got a perfect imitation of Aunt Hermione's voice in my head, reminding me of those facts. This is the first time I've had any proper time to think about names since I decided last week that it would be my safe area. And Lily has given me a name, apparently her favorite name. Which is like giving me permission. Damn I can't do that. Shame because Elliot is actually a nice name. Elliot Potter... I can't believe I'm actually liking a name my sister suggested and dismissing it.

"I like Elliot," I murmur and her smile is so huge now it's almost infectious. "But it's your favorite. What if, _way _in the future when you're _older_, you want to use it? But I have instead?"

Lily's smile seems to dim then, but not as much I expected it to, and she's quiet while she thinks. "You're so right. I'll think of another. I love the name Elliot way too much to just hand it over, no offense."

"None taken," I laugh and push my sheets back. Lily moves back to let me out of bed and to the bathroom. I have enough time to get a shower and have breakfast before I have to leave for Auror training. I wait for the temperatre to cool, so it's just right, before I strip and step in. Last night Dad told me our trainer would let us out a couple of hours early today. Friday is usually a half day, so he'll probably add those couple of hours on then, knowing him, but I'd be okay with that if I was actually going to be there. The only reason Dad's letting us out early is because there'll be a meeting that, as an Auror, our trainer _has_ to attend. It's a big one they have once a month. And I'm going to use the time to help Lexi finish getting the new house sorted for our housewarming party tonight.

No one's seen the house except me, Lexi and our parents. We decided to keep it a surprise for everyone else, have them wait until the party. And it's taken six weeks for us to sort everything. Redecorating didn't take long, there wasn't much we were changing. Just new coats of paint in some rooms, new wallpaper in others. But there were things we had to buy, kitchen supplies and other bits and pieces, and with the parents working, my training and Lexi decorating alone while trying to figure out what to do with her life, it's taken a while to get the house finished. All that's left now for us is the beds; they'll be going in later. We decided to work on the nursery as we go, _after_ we've told our friends.

Don't won't them seeing the baby's room and asking questions at the party.

For now we let them think it was the previous occupants' baby's room. On Friday morning we'll have the scan. On Friday afternoon they'll know. That's the plan.

Good plan.

Hopefully.

Someone bangs on the bathroom door and I turn off the shower, getting out quickly. I dry myself and wrap it around my waist as I unlock the door and go back to my room. Lily's gone now and I get dressed in peace. She's not bad the rest of the day, besides the odd request or question, it's just in the mornings when she sits on the bed and knows I can't go anywhere until she moves.

Downstairs, Mum is putting breakfast on a plate, omelette, pushing the plate closer to the edge of the breakfast bar once she sees me. "Morning, Al. Got everything for your party organized?"

I shake my head. "Not yet. I have to go shopping and finish buying food and drink. Lexi is giving me a list."

I take my plate and sit at the dining table, next to Lily, opposite Dad. "Are you sure about having a party?" he asks me, skeptical. "Considering what happened at the last party you went to."

His lips curve upwards until Mum is at his side and he groans, leaning forward slightly. I assume she kicked him under table. Lily's laughing her head off, covering her mouth with her hand because she's still eating. I don't laugh, he's mostly joking but I understand his apprehension. And so do Mum and Lily, hence the reason one kicked him and the other needs to calm down before she chokes. "Lexi can't drink, I won't, but I won't stop everyone else who's of age. Dom and Kieron will be there, probably Casey, too. It'll be fine."

It's not a complete lie, I don't intend on drinking since I'm the host and will be spending the night making sure everyone else has drinks and food. But, knowing my family and friends, I might end up having at least one drink. But they don't need to know that.

"Casey? Chris' brother? He's a year younger than Dom, right?" Mum asks.

I nod. "He's friend's with Lou, surprisingly. You know Casey?"

"I've seen him a few times, mostly at St. Mungo's. I have a friend there, Melinda, who says he rarely seems to leave. She said she remembers being like that during her Healer training as well." Mum laughs softly. "I'll be surprised if he's at the party."

"Yeah, me too." I finish my breakfast quickly and stand up, dropping my plate in the sink, and I wave. "I'll see you later."

I hear Dad follow me, stopping only to say goodbye to Mum and Lily, and I get to the fireplace first. I call out for the atrium at the Minstry and step out slowly. Last time I tripped over my own feet and fell flat on my face, people laughed. Now I know not to laugh if I see it happen to someone else. Unless it's a family member, it's like a universal right to laugh then.

The Ministry is busy already, but not packed yet. It's still early for some. Law Enforcement always seem to be the earliest to arrive, Aurors and trainees, then the lawyers and law students. Sometimes I meet with Kieron before I start training and he does whatever he does (he's no longer a law student, was given a job as soon as he'd graduated in the summer. He doesn't talk about his cases, rightly so I guess). He likes to ask me questions about me and Lexi. Not so much about the baby; we don't want people to hear and spread the word. Rumors travel quickly around this place. Sometimes I'm sure it's worse than when we were at school.

I don't see him yet, he's usually waiting for me by the elevator, so I assume he's already in his department and I release the breath I didn't even know I was holding. Kieron's an intimidating guy. The whole family is. I'm lucky I've known them for so long really or I wouldn't know how to handle it. I get into the elevator and make my way to the training center. It's defensive spells today and I have to kick Chris' ass this time. He kicked mine with blocking spells. He's just that little bit faster than me.

He's a smug bastard.

Sometimes I wonder why the hell I'm friends with him.

"Ready for me to beat you again?"

Speak of the devil. There at my side is Christopher Reed, best friend number two.

"It's my win today." I only glare at him for a few seconds, then Chris winks and grins and I have to copy. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer. "I'm still gonna beat you."

"You don't even want to be an Auror, you deserve to be beaten," he smirks. I shrug. "I can't wait for your party or to see this house. Why a house? I knew you two would end up as roommates, but I thought it would be a flat not a house."

I laugh, hope it doesn't sound awkward or strained, and tell him our little half-lie. It's actually very true, which is why we know it's believable, it's just not what got us a house. "You know Lexi, she loves her space. It's the only thing she'll willingly spend so much money to make sure she has. Seriously, do you really see her in an apartment?"

Chris only has to think about it for a second. "No," he chuckles. "So, a house it is. Maybe I should ask why you chose to live with her instead?"

"I needed a place to live and she has a house," is my quick response. Well, technically her dad has a house, with money from my dad for me. He called it a gift for the baby, Mum's idea. But Chris doesn't need to know that.

Inside the gym-like room we call the training center, which is actually a huge square room with space in the middle for days like to today where we learn to defend ourselves from different spells a suspect may use against us, I make my way to my usual spot across from the door. Along the walls are different pieces of equipment for our training needs; dummies for scenarios, safety mats. We'll use those today, so no one breaks anything when they're thrown to the floor with said defensive spells. And I mean _when_, not _if_; people like to throw others to the floor. They think it's funny. We all try first, work hard, so our trainer doesn't really mind when we start to mess around a little by the end of the day.

I look around the room while I stretch my arms, still getting used to my surroundings. On my first day, Dad said that for the first two years of Auror training we're likely to spend most of our time in this room, then you decide whether you want to be an Auror or a Hit Wizard. Third year is real world training; Chris and I will be partnered with two qualified Aurors and work with them, some office stuff and paperwork, but there is field word, more for Hit Wizards because they have different training during the last year. But there's _always paperwork_. When you qualify, it's back to paperwork until you're handed your first lone assignment, which is always babysitting or something similar. You can be handed that at any time in your first few months. And after that, you're partnered with someone and are given what junior Aurors call 'real cases'. Chris has this to look forward to. He can't wait.

I glance around at the others in the room. I wonder who'll be his partner. Or will an already qualified Auror choose to work with him? It's been known to happen, if they see potential.

Chris stops in front of me, bounces on his toes and shakes his arms a little. He looks like he's getting ready to step into an arena and fight. Maybe he is. I'm going to get hurt, I know it. Finally he stops. "What have you got to do after we finish today?"

"Go shopping for the party."

"Mind if I come with you? I can help."

I smirk. "You just want to see the house before everyone else."

He shrugs, but doesn't hide the fact that I'm right. "Of course I do. And we will, me and the others. You know we'll be there earlier. So can I?"

"Sure," I answer. Then our trainer, Malcolm, comes in and calls for our attention.

Class has begun.

***

I fall to the floor, exhausted and sore, and try to catch my breath. Chris looms over my head, smirking, then moves to kneel in front of me. "Admit it."

"You kicked my ass," I sigh. We're done for the day and Malcolm has already gone. I wait for the room to empty before I hold out my hand. "Help me up then." He does and nudges me in the direction of the door, handing me everything Kieron had given me during lunch. I make sure the money and the shopping list is safe inside my wallet, then stuff said wallet and my keys in my front pocket, my wand in the inside pocket of my jacket. "We'll get everything we need from the shop, take it to the new house and we can get a shower there," I say as we make our way to the elevator.

Chris pushes back his light brown hair, damp with sweat, and frowns before wiping his hand on his pants. "I'll bring your shopping in with you, but I'll get a shower at home. I'll have to leave to get changed anyway. Will you have clothes there?"

"Yeah, everything should be moved in now." I pull on my t-shirt. "These were the only things I had left at home. I officially won't be living there anymore. I'm sleeping in my new house tonight. In my bed that I took from my bedroom at Theo's house."

Chris pushes me out of the elevator the moment the doors open, shaking his head. "It's not your bedroom, it's a spare bedroom that you sometimes slept in when it was just you staying, since most of the time, whether just you or all six of us, we always camped in the living room."

I groan in fake annoyance. "Oh, you sound just like Theodore. I'm the only one who ever slept in that room, in that bed, so he let me have it. Better?"

Chris raises an eye-brow. Silence for one heartbeat. Then another. Then he shrugs. "Alright." We leave through the visitors entrance and walk through London. The breeze is light and it's not too cold, perfect. Just what I need. "I can't believe he just let you have a bed."

I shrug. "I needed a bed."

"You have a bed at home," he counters.

"I needed a_ new_ bed, that was soft and let me have a good nights sleep, not old like the bed at home. I'm gonna need a good nights sleep after -" I stop myself quickly. I was just about to say 'after the baby's born' and Chris can't know that yet. Damn.

"After training, I understand that," Chris says, smiling. It's another reminder that I'm lying to him, one of my best friends. Out of our group of six, if I can't talk to Lexi, I'll go to Chris every time. Before Emmett or Darcy or even Megan. I hate that I have to wait until Friday to tell them I'm going to be a dad, but Lexi and I promised and we can wait two more days. Until then I hope I can handle how guilty I feel and not blurt it out when the others ask about the house at the party. I've never lied to my friends before. "I still don't think he would have just given you a bed, though," he continues.

I carry on this conversation, tell him everything that happened that day. It's easier to deal with right now. It's a safe area along with baby names. Although that's only safe when I'm alone or with Lexi. Until Friday anyway. "His ex-wife may have been there to try and talk to Lexi and she may have overheard our conversation about new beds and how much it would cost and she may have said no when Lexi asked if we could take two from Nott Manor, which may have made him very angry at her for thinking she had a right to give her 'opinion' and said yes to us taking a bed each."

"Oh, so Daphne Greengrass is the reason you have that bed. Now it makes sense."

"He didn't take it back and say no when he finally got rid of her, he said it was alright, that it wasn't like they were being used." I stop, remembering the look on his face when Theo had said that, I'd never seen him look so sad. Lexi literally ran around the table to hug him, promising him she'd always visit with me and the baby, so much so that he'd wish we'd stop. He'd laughed at that. A little. "I think it's hit him that he's the only one left in that huge house," I whisper. "After he got divorced, he put his whole life on hold for Kieron and Lexi, then they went to school and he had work and friends, but they still came home during the summer. Bringing us, bringing Dom, with them. Now even that's changed."

"Yeah," Chris winks. "It's his turn to bring home a friend."

I elbow him in the ribs, but I can't help but laugh. "If Lexi ever hears you say that, she'll hurt you."

"So, she'll never hear me say it. Come on, we have shopping to do."

***

Chris is in awe when we stop outside the front door to the new house, I think it's shock. He turns around, seemingly taking in the neighborhood, before finally looking at me. His mouth is hanging open a fraction, which isn't much all things considered. Part of me can't wait to see his reaction when I tell him Lexi and I are going to be parents. I think jaw-dropping surprise will have a whole new meaning. "I don't think I truly believed it," he mutters. "Not the buying a house bit, the living in a family residence bit. Kids are riding bikes, playing in the streets. The neighbors are talking to each other." He nods to the two women across the road to the left. "You're in suburbia. Can I be a little worried?"

"Be worried all you want, I'm not moving." I grin and enter the house, knowing I won't be leaving this time, and stop. The first thing I notice are the voices, oh-so-familiar voices; Megan's laugh, Darcy yelling at Emmett, Emmett moaning in general. My grin widens. "Looks like the rest of the gang beat you to it."

"Guys, stop. Al will be here soon with the food and drink for the party," Lexi tries to be stern, but it's not hard to tell she's still laughing at whatever happened, too.

"Al's already here and he brought a friend." I nod my head to Chris and place the bags on the counter. "We got everything on the list. There was change, but we bought a drink each, so now there isn't. I'm going to get a shower."

"Yeah, I should go home, shower and change."

Megan throws Chris a bag, which he catches easily, and he frowns. "We stopped by to see if you were home and bring you here, we knew training had finished early, but you weren't in. Now we know why. Your stepmum gave it to us, said you'd laid it out this morning and told her it was what you were wearing tonight. She also put in clean clothes for tomorrow, just in case."

"That woman is a saint." Chris checks the bag, nods and looks satisfied. Everything is there. "Hurry up and shower, will you. I need one. Do you want help setting everything up, Lex?" I hear him ask as I leave.

"No way am I letting you touch the food when you're all sweaty. Find something else to do."

"You can help us figure out why Em's being all secretive until Al gets out the shower, then we're gonna go through all his stuff," Darcy says.

"I heard that!" I yell from the stairs. I jog the rest of the way to the bathroom, grab a towel and jump in. I only take a few minutes, considering I had one this morning, and I'm out quickly. Dried and dressed in record time, I straighten my black shirt with my hands, letting it fall over my new jeans, and tug at the sleeves. I run my hand through my hair, checking in the mirror to see short spikes sticking up. Water droplets fall when I touch the tips, but I don't mind that my hair is still damp. It'll dry.

I'm leaving my room as Chris is entering the bathroom. "I'll be a few minutes and I'll get changed in your room." He turns to look at me, closing the door so it covers the bottom half of his body. "The guys have almost finished getting everything ready, people will start coming at have less than half an hour."

"Okay." I nod and he shuts the door.

In the living room, Emmett and Darcy are messing with the music and other electronics. "I'm so glad Lexi brought her games system," Emmett says, smirking at me. "I'd pay to listen to you sing, especially when you're drunk."

Ah, so Alexa did bring her karaoke game. I knew she would. I also should have known she'd have it set up for tonight and I remember why I tell her I don't like her fascination with Muggle electronics, especially since she has to make sure they're all turned off so they don't break when she uses magic. I remember the first time I had the courage to play it last Christmas, after a large quantity of alcohol. I sang one song myself, then Lexi and I turned a solo song into a duet, singing a line each. We were awesome, if I do say so myself. But it's not happening tonight. "Sorry, Em, but I only sing when I'm drunk and since I intend on being a good host tonight, I won't be drinking. No drinking means no singing."

Emmmett's face falls. "Oh, don't do that, Albus. Alexa, your evil roommate won't sing tonight!"

"I'm sure you'll find a way, Em," She calls from the kitchen. I shrug, I know he'll try. I leave him with Darcy, her smug grin telling me she knows Em will try, too, and find Lex and Megan in the kitchen.

"Need my help?"

"Not now, everything's sorted," Megan tells me, shaking her head.

"Will you be on kitchen duty? Get people a drink if they ask, sort the food?" Alexa asks me and I know exactly why. Her sense of smell has kicked up a notch, some things make her sick. Alcohol is one of them, certain fish is another. Mum says this is normal, as do the books (see, I still read them).

"Sure, you can be in charge of entertainment and sing for Emmett." I expect her to smile and she does. I open my mouth, about to tell her to go on and leave it to me, when the doorbell rings.

Let the party begin.

* * *

**A/N:** Part one of two.


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